From Law to Love
by AJlove
Summary: Written for the 2010 GE Marriage Law Challenge!  Hermione Granger is happily engaged to Ron Weasley when a Ministry Edict forces them apart. AU, BDSM, Lemons, COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling, nor am I employed by any entity that holds rights to Harry Potter and his universe. I am making no money from writing this story, Muggle or Wizard, and am simply borrowing anything recognizable to play with. In short, it isn't mine._

`Chapter one - The Edict

It had to be February. The middle of February, to be exact. Once again, the Ministry of Magic was requiring its employees to get their semi-annual physical and mental evaluation. Ever since the war against Voldemort had ended, the Ministry had insisted that all their employees maintain a healthy lifestyle. They also used it as an excuse to keep tabs on everyone and to ensure that no one was acting under any curses. Even though the Dark wizard was gone, people were still a bit paranoid.

So it was on a dreary Wednesday morning when Hermione Granger found herself in front of the Ministry-sanctioned healers at St. Mungo's on her lunch break. There were, as always, the requisite forms inquiring about such mundane details like the date (16 February 2005), her marital status (single, but soon to change to married once her fiance agreed to set the date) and any known allergies (none). However, this time around, there was another form relating to blood status, siblings, family histories of all sorts of diseases both Muggle and wizard, and a signature line for consent to test, whatever that meant. She had just decided to ask the healer about it when her name was called and she found herself walking back to an examination room.

About fifteen minutes later, the healer had finally walked into the room to begin the examination. He was a tall wizard, older, with grey hair and overly long eyebrows. In his left hand was her medical record and he used his right to flip through the forms she had filled out while waiting. Without looking up at her, he asked various questions to ensure he had the information correct.

'Now, Miss Granger,' he began. 'It says here that you are a Muggleborn. Is that correct?'

'Yes,' she replied.

'And approximately ten years ago you were hit with a curse that you are still unsure about?'

'Yes.'

The healer paused in his perusal of the papers and finally raised his eyes to the young witch in front of him. With a slight cock of his left eyebrow, he inquired about the curse and proceeded to listen to her retell the tale of that fateful day in the Department of Mysteries when she had nearly been taken out by Antonin Dolohov. Hermione had to bite back her laughter when, about mid-story, she saw the light flicker on behind the wizened healer s eyes as he realized who exactly was seated on his exam table.

'OH! Dear me, Miss Granger. My apologies! I didn't realize who you were, he sputtered. You must understand how busy we are right now with all these Ministry tests going on which reminds me. You forgot to sign the bottom of this form.'

'Yes, about that. What exactly is the consent for?'

'It's just simple blood tests, Miss Granger. I am surprised that they haven't told you at work. The Ministry is creating a catalogue of all magical signatures in an effort to have a better grasp of the magical community. They are also attempting to locate the magical genes in order to expand our shrinking population. It's for research, basically.'

She couldn't say no to research. Even that evening, when her mind went to the possible ramifications of the Ministry holding all that knowledge and their possible uses for it, she couldn't find fault with it. Her confidence in Minister Shacklebolt wouldn't allow her to think ill of a Ministry that had accomplished so much in the six years or so since the final fall of Lord Voldemort.

The work week continued on as it normally would for the young witch. After Voldemort had been defeated, she and Ron Weasley had officially gotten together. Much to the chagrin of Ron's mother, Molly, the two didn't immediately get married in the rush of it all. They took their time with each other and allowed their relationship to grow from the best friends they were while at Hogwarts, to a young couple just starting out and eventually to lovers. Ron and Hermione eventually moved in to a small but comfortable flat close to the heart of Muggle London and both took jobs at the Ministry. They lived together for two and a half years before Ron took Hermione to Paris on holiday and proposed to her at sunset under the Eiffel Tower. It was a trip she wouldn't soon forget. Dinner immediately followed her affirmative response and the two discussed plans for the big day, never actually setting a date, but agreeing that whenever it did happen, the ceremony would be small and not in England. Ron had jokingly suggested Las Vegas in the United States for the setting, but much to his surprise, Hermione agreed. It would be perfect.

They settled into the life of an engaged couple, having dinner with Harry Potter and his fiance Ginny Weasley once a week and shopping for all the things that couples are supposed to have. Furniture was purchased along with new appliances and assorted electronics and the once drab flat became theirs in name and feel. Their jobs took a lot from them but they didn't mind in the slightest. Even after those wonky Ministry required healer visits, like the one she had attended that morning, she knew that the love of her life would be there for her at the end of the day.

It was a few days later when Hermione was sitting down to dinner with Ron, discussing their respective days, that the subject of blood tests came up. Apparently Ron had also been to the healer that week and thought nothing of signing his consent. They discussed their visits briefly before beginning to speculate what hoops the Ministry would have them jumping through next. The conversation bled from dinner to afters and before they knew it, it was time for bed.

They climbed into bed together and Ron immediately moved between Hermione s legs, kissing her deeply and passionately while restraining her arms above her head. Once he was sure his knots wouldn't come free, he ran his fingers lightly down her arms, pausing to torture her a little by tickling her armpits. She simultaneously loved and hated when he would tickle her. The torment of knowing that he was right there, touching her and yet not always drove her crazy. Having her wrists bound to the headboard just increased the sensation for her and she would always struggle against the bonds as if begging him to stop while never actually saying the words.

He eased off a bit, taking his time to kiss his way across her chest, laving attention to her left nipple while expertly pinching and plucking her right. Ron continued to tease and torment her as she writhed beneath him, pleading for him to stop teasing and just take her. He didn't let up when her whimpers turned to cries nor when her cries turned into outright screams. Only when she was outright begging for release, release from his tickling, release from his onslaught on her overly sensitive breasts, release of a more sexual nature, did he finally line up his cock and plunge deep into her.

She loved the way he felt buried deep inside of her. It was pure, unadulterated bliss. Every time he would thrust into her, she would arch her hips up to meet his, loving the way his breath would hitch. He filled his hands with her hair and held on, pulling slightly every now and then to turn her head this way or that so that he could assault her neck with his mouth and drive her closer to her ultimate destination. They rocked against each other for a time that seemed both endless and not long enough before Ron untied her and they climaxed into blissful slumber.

Saturday morning was bleeding into the afternoon before the lovers awoke to meet the world. Not having planned their lie in, they quickly jumped from the bed, showered and made their way into the kitchen for a quick meal before heading out to complete their usual Saturday chores. After a trip to Diagon Alley and the local grocery store, they decided to stop off at McDonald's to pick up dinner for the night. Once they were home and the groceries all put away, Ron closed the Floo while Hermione set the table.

'Did you still want to go to Las Vegas, love?' inquired Ron.

Hermione paused mid-motion, a fry held less than an inch from her mouth, as she surveyed him. She noticed that he wasn't meeting her eyes and knew that something was up. He continued without looking at her.

'Well, it s just that I know you want your privacy and Ginny and Harry have agreed to go along so that we can have witnesses that mean someth-'

His arms were full of sobbing witch before he could finish his words. She had knocked into him so hard that they fell into a heap on the floor, food forgotten as she peppered his face with kisses. Ron was finally able to extricate himself from her enough to fill her in on the details.

'The flights and hotel are already booked. We re going to be staying at a hotel called the Bellagio and getting married on their Terrazzo Di Sogno. Everything is taken care of. Your hair and make up will be done there, they provide a photographer and catering and we will even be going to see that Circle Solay thing you wanted to see.'

'It's Cirque du Soleil,' she laughed.

'Whatever. We leave in three weeks. The only thing that needs to be taken care of is our marriage license and we can apply for that at work on Monday morning.'

The weekend passed in a whirl of planning and celebratory sex. Hermione was overjoyed not only with Ron's initiative to set a date but also for remembering things that she had mentioned months previous, like her desire to see Cirque du Soleil. In all their talks since becoming engaged, they had agreed on a small ceremony someplace far from England, where they were akin to royalty. Sure enough, when they applied for their license on Monday just before lunch, people started talking and gossiping about it. Even a week later, people were still going on and on about how two thirds of the famous Trio were finally getting married.

That evening, on the final Monday in February, Hermione and Ron were talking about how there must not be much going on out in the world for their pending nuptials to still be causing such a ruckus. Both hoped that something would come along soon to take the heat off of their relationship because the more speculation there was around their decision, the more likely it was that unwanted guests would find their way to America to witness their vows.

The next morning, they got their wish in the form of a Ministry owl, one for each of them.

**Edict Maritus**  
**By Order of the Minister for Magic The following law now applies to all magical beings living in the combined colony of the British Isles:**

_The Reunification and Maritare Law was passed this morning by a majority vote of the Wizengamot Government. As of this date March 1st- 2005 all Muggleborn and Halfblood magical beings will be compliant to the newest law. Failure to do so will result in the binding of their magic and stiff monetary penalties. By reading this edict- you submit to our law and agree to its terms. _

Minister of Magic- Kingsley Shacklebolt.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter two**_ - The Letters

_To: Miss Hermione J. Granger_

_As stated in the Ministry decree which you received a copy of on 1 March 2005 at half eight in the morning, you are hereby subjected to the Edict Maritus. Below, you will find a list of the three wizards best suited to meet your magical and procreation needs. Please look over the following alphabetically ordered list carefully before making your decision._

_Neville Longbottom_

_Lucius Malfoy_

_Orsino Thruston_

_For basic biographical information regarding your potential spouse, simply touch your wand to each name. Once your decision has been made, say the incantation 'Matrimonium Vinculum' while holding your wand to your choice. The choice will automatically be recorded at the Ministry, so there is no need to send a separate owl. Ceremonies may occur at any location you see fit throughout the known world so long as a legally registered officiate is present._

_Please note: You have until Friday, 4 March to comply with the selection of your spouse. Failure to do so will result in a binding of your magic and your wand being snapped. Monetary fines of up to one million Galleons will also be imposed should you neglect to choose. Any attempts to flee the country will result in a stay in Azkaban for no less than two years along with all other consequences of non-compliance._

_If in the unlikely occurrence of more than one person choosing the same witch or wizard, the Ministry will make the final decision based on the closest magical match._

_We await your decision._

Hermione's hands were shaking as she read the three names over and over, begging any one of them to somehow transform into the name Ronald Weasley. It wasn't fair. They had finally set the date. They were going to America to be married in a small and private ceremony with two of their closest friends, spending a week in Las Vegas enjoying a carefree holiday. She was going to have his babies and now she was being forced to choose from a list of three wizards the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with?

It had to be a joke, she thought. She had to be dreaming. But no matter how many times she pinched herself, the scene didn't change. Ron walked in then, both having called off from work that day. In his hands was a similar piece of parchment with the raised Ministry seal in the lower right hand corner. Without speaking a word, Ron dropped his letter in front of Hermione while reaching for her proffered one. It was he who broke the silence with a voice far too distant for her liking.

'Please tell me that this is all a bad dream.' She shook her head and he continued. 'It shouldn't matter what the Ministry says. I'm a Pure-Blood. You're a Muggle-born. We're in love. We saved their asses, for Merlin's sake! They owe us!' His voice had grown steadily louder over his short outburst, but Hermione barely reacted to it. She agreed with him. Her shock had rendered her almost completely speechless though. While she tried to find her voice, she turned her attention to the list of witches who would steal her love from her.

'Ellie Cattermole, Megan Jones, and Patricia Stimpson,' she read. 'Cattermole. Why does that name sound familiar?'

'I don't recognize the name. Was she in our year?'

The pieces fell into place for Hermione and she suddenly remembered. 'Her parents. We saw them back… Back when we went into the Ministry to get the Locket from Umbridge.'

Ron nodded, finally placing the name himself. The Muggle-born Registration Commission. 'I don't know the other two - BLIMEY, Hermione! You have a member of the Weird Sisters on your list!'

'What?'

'Orsino Thruston is their drummer. Only a few years older than us as well. Well off, he is. Heard he's quite the wizard, too. Always a different witch on his arm. Lucky chap.'

That did not bode well for Hermione. 'I refuse to be married to the playboy of the Wizarding World. If I wanted that, I would just choose Draco Malfoy and be done with it.'

'Um, Hermione?' Ron interrupted.

'Well, at least there's Neville. Never really thought of him that way, but at least I know him.'

'Hermione?' He tried again.

'I should Floo him and -'

'HERMIONE!'

'WHAT?'

He looked abashed, but spoke anyways. 'Draco Malfoy isn't on your list. Lucius is.'

'L-Lucius? Lucius Malfoy? But that's… It's not… He's like sixty years old! How can they expect someone my age to- to-' She took a deep, shuddering breath and composed herself. 'It doesn't matter. Neville is on my list and though he is more like a brother to me, I can just choose him and it will be done.'

'I'm going to Floo Harry and Ginny. Maybe they had more luck than we did and ended up on each other's lists.'

A few hours later found all four seated in the kitchen of Ron and Hermione's small London flat. Apparently the other couple hadn't fared any better than they had. Harry was livid; the moment his letter had arrived he had Apparated to the Ministry and marched into Kingsley's office to demand an explanation. A half an hour later, he had sulked out, defeated, as there was nothing that could be done to change things. No one was to get any leeway with this new law, not even the people who had saved the world. In fact, from the way Harry told it, it had almost seemed like the Wizengamot was hoping that at least one of the Golden Trio would refuse to comply in order to make an example of them. _'If we will do it to them, we will do it to you.'_ It was sad times, indeed.

Things only got worse when Hermione learned that Neville was more fortunate than the rest. Hannah Abbott, a rather nice Hufflepuff girl from their year who had been dating Neville since the end of the war, found herself on the list. The two were set to be wed the next morning at a small Ministry ceremony. That was one name off of Hermione's list and she found herself discussing the lesser of two evils with a thoroughly heartbroken Ron, who was no closer to making a choice than she was.

Wednesday was more of the same while the two were at home, but unlike the previous day, they could no longer shirk their responsibilities and went unwillingly into work. The hours seemed endless and both went about their daily routines as if on automatic pilot. When time came to go home, Ron had the forethought to stop for take away and the two dined in silence. Neither were willing to address the issue that sat between them like a giant purple and pink polka dotted hippogriff. It wasn't long before they could no longer put it off and they both agreed to discuss Ron's predicament first.

'Ellie Cattermole, Megan Jones, and Patricia Stimpson,' Hermione read once again. 'Let's see who they are.'

Ron touched his wand to each name and the two read over the basic biographical information. Ellie was a few years younger than he was, a Ravenclaw in school, and a Half-Blood. Megan, a Hufflepuff, was their age and was also a Half-Blood. Patricia had been in Gryffindor and graduated a few years before Fred and George would have. Ron didn't even take the time to note her blood status, as he could never bring himself to be with someone older than he was.

'So it's between Ellie and Megan, then,' he said. 'The Cattermole's will have remembered us from helping to save them back at the Ministry and I'm not so sure that I could live the rest of my life with that sort of hero worship.'

'So it's Megan.'

'Megan.'

With his decision made, they once again turned their attention to Hermione's list. Pure-Blood supremacist or rock star? Man old enough to be her father or someone just a few years older? Well, if they were going by age then it would be Orsino Thruston without a doubt. She just couldn't bring herself to choose someone who was constantly gossiped about over the water cooler, at the department stores, on the wireless and in various periodicals. Then again, Lucius Malfoy was also gossiped about.

…and he was married.

The thought hit her like a ton of bricks. One of the people on her list was already married! He was a father! He was DRACO'S father! This was the man who had almost cost Ginny Weasley her life back in her first year of school. This was a man who had been there when Voldemort attempted to kill Harry during the Triwizard Tournament. He had been in the Department of Mysteries and stood by while Hermione was tortured in his own home. She was tortured in his home! She couldn't marry him! She couldn't live there! But could she live with a husband who was on the road constantly? Having other women throw themselves at her husband when she wasn't there to stop him from catching them? Could she allow herself to be with a man who had very recently visited a rehab clinic for drug abuse?

She went to bed no closer to an answer than she was when she awoke that morning.

Hermione woke early Thursday morning to an insistent tapping at her window. Blinking rapidly against the harsh morning sun, she threw up the sash and let the owl in. The bird dropped a pair of parchments on her head and took off back out of the window without a second glance. A Ministry seal was prominent on the missives and she knew that she would need some coffee to ground her for what she was about to read.

When Ron entered the kitchen a quarter hour later, Hermione was just serving up the eggs and toast, a fresh cup of coffee adorning each place setting at the table. Next to Ron's mug was his Ministry letter and hers sat unopened above her fork. She knew what they were before she even read hers and judging by the look in Ron's face, he knew as well. Even though he had made his decision, he had sworn to Hermione that he wouldn't cast the spell to bind him to another until she was ready to do the same. The parchment in front of each of them was most likely a letter from the Ministry reminding them of their deadline.

They were right.

_Miss Hermione J. Granger_

_You received an owl on 1 March 2005 regarding your matches for the Edict Maritus. As of this owl, the Ministry of Magic has not yet recorded a response. Failure to make a choice by 1800 on 4 March 2005 will result in the binding of your magic and your wand being broken. A monetary fine of fifty thousand galleons will also be enforced along with a two year sentence to Azkaban prison._

It was a form letter; Ron's was worded exactly the same way. Ron smiled ruefully in Hermione's direction as the two tucked in to their breakfast. Once the table was cleared, they dressed and went about their day. The similarities between this Thursday and the previous day were staggering. Work passed excruciatingly slow, dinner was take away and the pre-bed hours were spent trying to make a choice she never wanted to make. As the hour grew later and the lists of "cons" for each man grew longer, she decided that she would almost preferred a stint in Azkaban to living with either man. The binding of her magic wouldn't hurt her as much as it would some others. After all, she had lived the first ten years of her life as a Muggle and often preferred doing things the Muggle was rather than using magic. The fine would hurt, but thanks to some solid investment decisions, she could afford it. Prison, though…

She physically shook herself. Was she actually considering prison over a forced marriage? Was either man really so bad that Azkaban would be better?

Ron took her right hand in his left and wiped a tear from her cheek. She cried a bit, telling him how much she just wished it was all a dream. Ron convinced her that it wasn't the end of the world, neither wizard would harm her and if either tried, he and Harry would have them thrown in Azkaban before they could say "Quidditch." While this made her laugh, she still wished that she didn't have to make the choice. She just wanted it to be over.

The two walked to bed silently and made love well into the morning hours. They may be forced to marry others, but for now they were still together. Time was precious and they weren't going to waste what little they had left.

Friday morning's edition of The Daily Prophet made Hermione's breath catch in her throat. The picture that graced the front page was that of a long haired wizard getting his wand broken and being restrained in handcuffs before being led from the frame. The headline wasn't what caught her attention so much as the first two words of the story: Orsino Thruston. She scanned the article and broke down in tears, clasping the newspaper in her small hands. That was how Ron found her, crying into her coffee and clutching the paper.

The decision had been made for her.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I am making no money, Wizard or Muggle, from the writing of this fic. This is only for my own enjoyment and sanity, and no infringement is intended.

* * *

_Chapter three_ - The End

'I feel like a child who didn't get her way,' Hermione explained as Ron held her. 'I know I said that I didn't want to have to choose, but really! Am I so bad that someone would rather go to jail than to marry me?'

'Now come on, love. You know it isn't like that. He's a player, just like I told you, and he said himself that he would rather live as a Muggle than be limited to one woman forever.' He paused for a moment to brush an errant strand of hair from Hermione's face. 'But I suppose this means that the Weird Sisters are breaking up, huh?'

That earned a slight chuckle from Hermione who suddenly felt sheepish. Orsino Thruston had chosen prison over marriage and _she _had felt as if it was a slight against her personally. But wasn't that just the thing she had considered the night before? Prison over marriage simply because of the wizards left for her to choose from? Just as quickly as the thought came, another more pressing one had entered her mind.

Lucius Malfoy.

Her letter from the Ministry had said that in the event more than one person chose the same wizard, the Ministry would make the choice for them based on magical compatibility. What would happen to her if some other witch chose him for their husband and the Ministry allowed it? Would her wand still get snapped? Would they, instead, pair her with Neville, once again tearing apart two people who truly love each other and have a real chance of happiness? Or what if she did marry Lucius Malfoy? She would be Draco's step mother! HA! The ferret would just LOVE that, wouldn't he?

Would Lucius even still be talking to Draco? So much of the younger Malfoy's upbringing had been steeped in the purity of blood. Now that the dynasty was about to end, would Lucius hold it against his son? Even if they younger man had no choice in the matter? And what if Draco hated her for splitting up his parents? There were just too many "what if's" for her liking and none of them were making her feel any better.

Unlike the previous two days, Friday seemed to fly by. From Hermione's desk in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, she could see the occasional happy couple on their way to be wed by a Ministry representative. However, for every happy couple, there were at least three that were barely looking at each other, some in tears, making the walk towards the start of an unwanted life. The surprising part of her day was that it seemed like the vast majority of the wizarding world was going along with the new law. From nine in the morning until she left for the day at half four, there was only one person who had arrived to turn in their wand. When asked why she was choosing prison over marriage, she had told the Auror's present that of her three choices, one wizard was ten years her junior and another was well over one hundred years old. Neither were an option for her. As for the third, she had said that she would rather live as a Muggle again than be married to a Death Eater. Hermione couldn't help but admire the witches conviction and though part of her agreed, she knew deep down that she would go insane without her magic.

Hermione and Ron met in front of the Floos that lined the main hall of the Ministry of Magic. They Apparated together to the McDonald's near their flat and walked the two blocks home with their dinner, holding hands the whole way. Their mealtime conversation was rather light hearted, considering. Hermione told Ron of the witch who gave herself up to Azkaban and her reasoning behind it and Ron laughed. They then began wondering how much work the Auror's were going to get in hunting down those who attempted to evade the Edict. Both agreed that at least Harry and Ron wouldn't have to deal with their new brides much for the first few weeks of their respective marriages.

Hermione wouldn't be so lucky. Speculation turned to what her life would now be like. New clothing would almost be certain, as she was sure no Malfoy would be seen with someone in denims and a jumper. She would probably also end up with lessons in Pure-Blood etiquette and a strongly worded lecture about the woman's place in the home. Her years of employment were most likely over and she felt surprisingly sad about that. Even though she basically held a desk job, she found her work quite rewarding and the research she had done had led to many improvements for the entire MLE department.

Time really was flying, but Ron's internal clock was fortunately a bit faster. He glanced up to see the time at five til six. A feeling of dread descended upon the room as they reached for their wands and letters to reluctantly comply with the law. Hermione was sobbing, staring at Ron and trying not to completely break down at the sight of tears in the redhead's eyes. They positioned their wand tips to touch the names of Lucius Malfoy and Megan Jones and with one last look of longing toward the other, they spoke the incantation: _Matrimonium Vinculum._

Magic swirled around the tiny room and its two occupants as the bond was temporarily sealed. The true bond would occur when they met their future spouses at the Ministry for the ceremony. Though they knew that they could wed anywhere so long as a representative of the local Ministry was present, neither felt as if it would be appropriate. It wasn't a marriage for love, so therefore it wouldn't be a romantic destination wedding like the one Ron had planned for himself and Hermione not one week previous.

Silence reigned as the weight of their actions settled upon them and it lasted until two distinct taps were heard on the kitchen window. Ron moved to allow the entry of two Ministry owls Each bird found its intended recipient and flew away just as soon as the missives were delivered. As Hermione picked hers up, she felt magic once again swirl around her as the parchment glowed first blue and then bright white before returning to normal. She assumed that the letter was charmed to check for a magical signature to ensure the correct person was reading it, but when nothing happened with Ron's as he opened his own letter, she changed her mind. The letter itself offered no explanation of the strange light and she filed the information away to ask at the next opportunity.

_Dear Miss Granger,_

_On behalf of the Ministry of Magic, we would like to be the first to congratulate you on your pending marriage to Mr. Lucius Malfoy. We trust the two of you will be happy together and look forward to welcoming your children into the Wizarding World. Below, you will find information regarding your bonding ceremony along with the stipulations of the Edict that you have agreed to by making your choice._

_~The union will take place on Monday, 7 March 2005 at 11:30am on Level One of the Ministry of Magic. Your ceremony will be presided over by Secretary Pucey. Please have with you your wand and at least one form of identification._

_~Once the ceremony is complete, the couple is free to leave the Ministry to sort out and personal discrepancies that may arise as a result of the union, including but not limited to residency, financial obligations and employment._

_~There will be a one week grace period in which the couple is not required to share a home while settling any pre-marriage affairs. After that, each couple is required to maintain a residency together, spending no more than one night apart per month. Couples are not required to share a bedroom._

_~A child must be conceived within the first year of wedlock and another by the couple's fifth anniversary to ensure the future of our civilization. Please note that Fidelity Charms will be used to ensure that any children have the greatest chance at a strong magical future._

_Any witch or wizard found to be using contraceptive charms or potions, along with any type of Muggle contraceptive will be found guilty of sedition, have their magic bound and be sent to Azkaban for a term no shorter than twenty years._

_Once again, congratulations and best wishes in your upcoming marriage. We look forward to seeing you at the Ministry promptly at 11:30am Monday morning._

Ron and Hermione exchanged looks. Fidelity charms? Shared permanent residencies? The Ministry appeared to have given this law more thought than either of them had first figured. Hermione, ever the organizational type, decided that there was no time like the present to start getting things settled for the coming week. The realist side of her knew that there was no way Lucius Malfoy would allow her to return to another man once she was wed to him, especially if that man was a Weasley, so she started her preparations.

Over the course of the weekend, she and Ron set their affairs in order. The first thing she did was to gather all the necessary paperwork to transfer the flat completely into Ron's name. They had purchased it together shortly after her twenty first birthday and both names were on the title. With everything in order, it would only take a few signatures in the presence of a notary to remove her name from the deed and give it completely to her first and only true love. When that was settled, she began to move robotically from room to room to pack up her things. Each time she would enter a new room, she would cast an Accio charm and summon any clothes that happened to be hiding about. Then she would summon any stray shoes. Once she had an organized pile of each in front of her, she went through them all by hand and sorted out those things that she hardly wore or would most likely never find time to wear again. All of these items found their way into a third pile that would be taken to the local Women's Aid to be given to women who left their homes with nothing but what they were wearing in order to escape an abusive relationship. Everything left over was packed into boxes and set aside for her eventual move.

Friday had been such a trying day from the decisions they had made to the exhaustion from the magical expenditure and all the emotions they had gone through. When the time came for bed, they both collapsed between the sheets with barely an 'I love you' spoken before sleep claimed them. Saturday night had been more of the same; they had worked themselves so hard in preparing the flat for Hermione's departure that neither had the strength to properly get to bed. They had fallen asleep on the sofa in the living room, waking in the morning to find the television still on from the night before.

The hardest thing for her was going through her photographs. She and Ron spent almost the whole of Sunday looking through albums, sorting the pictures and reliving memories. There was laughter and tears, stories and silence. Ron kept some, Hermione chose others and there ended up being a few sets that were sent to other people. Molly Weasley would find herself the owner of a number of them. Harry, Ginny and even Neville had owls posted to them to deliver assorted pictures. At the end of the night, it was all either Ron or Hermione could do to stop themselves from chucking it all and trying to evade the law in order to be together. They both knew the repercussions, knew they wouldn't get very far, and consoled themselves with the knowledge that they would still get to see each other. As the clock on the mantle struck eleven, the two made their way to bed for what would be their last time together. So this night, Sunday night, they climbed beneath the blankets with the sole purpose of finding comfort from each other's bodies the way they had become so accustomed to in the previous years.

Ron used the pad of his thumb to wipe a tear from Hermione's cheek. He leaned in to kiss her soundly and passionately, trying to tell her without words how much he loved her. She was aware of what he was doing because she felt the same way. If she were to open her mouth to speak the words aloud, she knew that it would come out as nothing more than a sob. Her heart was breaking in her chest even at the though of never being with him again and she returned his kiss with every ounce of her being.

She felt his hands wrap themselves around her body, the left twining in her unruly locks and the right reaching down to cup her bottom through her night shirt. Her own hands automatically found his hair, twisting his head to get a better angle for their kiss. Their tongues duelled in an age old cadence while his hips thrust against her, showing her what he planned to do. Just when she thought she would die from the torment, she heard him whisper a spell to disrobe them and they were skin to skin.

She could feel his hardness pressing against her thigh and began to cry again with the realization that she would never know this feeling again. They had been together for so long, been through so much together and yet after tonight, it would be no more. A sense of urgency coursed through her. She couldn't hold back any longer and brought a leg up to curl around Ron's waist. He instinctively thrust against her, just grazing her clit, but instead of the well known euphoric feeling that usually followed the gesture, she began to feel sick to her stomach. Every time Ron's hands would shift on her body, each kiss from his sweet mouth and every bit of friction brought forth from their foreplay seemed to unsettle her more. When Ron turned her onto her back, she felt her head spin and her skin heat, but not in a good way. She became feverish, started sweating profusely and at the exact moment that Ron began to settle himself between her thighs, her world collapsed around her. Using every bit of strength she had, she pushed him off of her and ran to the bathroom, barely making it to the toilet before the contents of her stomach came back to visit.

Ron was beside her, holding her hair back and using a cool washcloth to help her recover. They sat on the floor of the bathroom for fifteen minutes while Hermione found her bearings before she rose to brush her teeth and return to bed. She was feeling much improved and played off the sick as something she must have eaten. However, when she and Ron tried to have a go of it again, the symptoms returned with a vengeance and she found herself in front of the porcelain throne once more. As they sat together on the floor of the bathroom for the second time in less than thirty minutes, Hermione felt her nausea turn to anger.

'It was the letter,' she seethed. 'I'm sure of it. When I got my congratulatory letter from the Ministry, it glowed blue then white and I felt the pulse of magic surge through me. I would bet my last Galleon that it was a temporary fidelity charm of some type.'

Ron could only nod beside her. As much as he didn't want to believe her words, he knew deep down that they were true. It was the only explanation for her sudden illness, for they had shared their dinners earlier that evening. He felt fine.

Hermione shuddered next to him, dragging in a deep, choking breath before releasing the most gut wrenching sob he had ever heard. No words would have helped the situation, so he simply picked her up and carried her to bed. They held each other all through the night, crying themselves to sleep over love lost and dreading the morning's light. Work was still on the horizon for the start of the day, but it was the lunch hours that neither wanted to see. Ron was slated to be wed at 11:20 and Hermione at 11:30.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: _The characters and canon situations in the following story belong solely to JK Rowling, Scholastic and WB. I am not making any money from the publishing or writing of this story._

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Chapter four - New Beginning

Monday morning came far too quickly for their liking. Hermione went through her morning ablutions in a daze, dressed and made her way to the kitchen for coffee. Ron was already seated at the table and had prepared her mug just as she liked it: milk and three sugars. On her plate was toast and eggs, but she had no appetite. Tears began to fall anew and she excused herself to clear the evidence of her emotion. When it was finally time to leave for the Ministry, she gave up on washing her face and simply cast a simple glamour to hide the tracks of her tears.

He couldn't even kiss her goodbye. After all the years spent together, that one last bit was taken from them by the Ministry's sodding charm work. The moment his hand touched her cheek or his mouth got too close to hers, her stomach would flip and it took every bit of self control she had to not be sick on him. She assured him that it was nothing personal, that she wanted nothing more than to kiss him, touch him, hold him one last time, and he knew. With a parting look that spoke of timeless longing, the two parted ways as friends.

The clock seemed to be moving backwards and yet racing forward at the same time. As the hour grew later, her anxiety was reaching a crescendo. Now she felt ill, but for a completely different reason. All of those 'what if's' from the other day were coming back to haunt her and her imagination wasn't helping in the slightest. That was when the other shoe dropped and she nearly fainted; she would be living at Malfoy Manor.

She wondered if the room was still there, the one she was tortured in. Would he have simply replaced the chandelier that had fallen when she, Ron and the others had fled with Dobby? Would he just ignore what happened to her in his home, pretending as if none of it had ever occurred? Or perhaps… No. She didn't dare to think that he would have done away with that part of his ancestral home or that maybe he would actually apologize for the events of so long ago. That would be a sure sign of the apocalypse.

The clock struck eleven and Hermione glanced down at the Ancient Runes text she had been reading all morning with little success. She put herself on task and read the same sentence four times before giving it up as a bad job. The love of her life, the man she lived for, was getting married in less than twenty minutes and it wouldn't be her standing at the alter with him. She belatedly wondered what he had done with the tickets to Vegas and the hotel reservations. A well placed Confundus Charm would work wonders and probably save him a fortune…

Ten after eleven. She picked a piece of lint off of her charcoal grey pencil skirt and decided to head to the ladies' in order to prepare herself for her pending nuptials. Knowing that she wouldn't be required to complete her day at the office, Hermione gathered her things and left her desk.

The ladies room was empty. Hermione stood in front of a full length mirror, taking in every detail of her appearance. She knew that Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy's marriage had been dissolved as a result of this Edict and Hermione forced herself to face a very hard truth: she could never compete with the older witch. Narcissa wasn't just the beauty that graced the arm of the Malfoy patriarch, she was the social head of the household. Parties, functions and galas were just a few of the things controlled by Lucius Malfoy's first wife. Hermione knew that she would have some very large shoes to fill. With that thought in mind, she chanced a look at her feet.

Her shoes were nice, black Manolo Blahnik Mary Jane's that she had splurged on a few years ago, and they seemed to go with everything. Her legs were free from any coverings underneath the charcoal skirt. She was wearing a simply white blouse with a black cardigan. It was work attire, through and through. There was nothing wrong with work clothes, she told herself, but it wasn't something well suited for getting married. If this edict held, this would be the one and only time she would get to walk down the aisle.

Would there even be an aisle?

She resolved to make the best of her bad situation and pulled her wand from her handbag. With some pretty nifty spell work, she transfigured her clothes into a semi chic, cream coloured tea length gown with a corseted bodice and a slight flare to the skirt. Wanting to not look awkward, she cast a glamour on her shoes to make them appear the same colour as her dress. After ensuring her hair was tamed a bit, she checked herself in the mirror and gained an approving comment from her reflection. She took a deep breath and exited the room.

It was now twenty past eleven. Hermione ducked into a staff lounge to grab a bit of water before her life as a single woman ended. She was about to swallow the first sip when the crushing reality hit her: Ron was getting married. At that moment, while she was sitting in a chair she had basically collapsed into, Ron was in another part of the Ministry saying his vows. Hermione wondered what she was like, Megan. Was she a nice girl? What did her parents do? Did she enjoy Quidditch like Ron did? What did she look like? As Hermione found her strength to stand and make her way to Level One, she discovered that she didn't envy Ron in the slightest. Ron had no idea what he was marrying into. At least Hermione knew her soon to be husband. She had been able to mentally prepare herself for this relationship rather than diving in head first and praying that there were no rocks in her way. Hermione knew where the rocks were and had already put a plan in place to avoid those hazards at any cost.

She only hoped that things would go according to her plan.

With a minute to spare, Hermione Granger walked into the conference room that was being used for various weddings. At the end of the room opposite from where she entered, Lucius Malfoy stood with his back to her. His back was rod straight under pristine black robes, his hair secured at his nape with a simple black ribbon, and his trademark cane was held loosely in his left hand. She couldn't help but admire his looks and secretly thanked whatever deity was listening that at least her arranged marriage would result in some beautiful babies. There were most definitely worse fates than having an attractive spouse.

The ceremony passed with very little fanfare. Adrian Pucey was their officiant, she vaguely remembered him from Hogwarts, and he got through the service as quickly as possible. I do's were said, a blood oath was sealed and before Hermione knew what was happening, she exchanged a very fast kiss with Lucius where the two barely bussed the corners of each others mouths. Chancing a look down at her left hand, she noticed the delicate gold band inlaid with small diamonds that signified her bond. She was married.

'Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy,' Adrian said before directing the two from the room. After all, there were many other ceremonies to perform.

…she was a Malfoy.

'I strongly suggest that we adjourn someplace a bit less congested for a much needed discussion.'

Hermione looked up from her hand and into the eyes of her new husband. She had heard the words as if from a distance, but reached for his proffered arm and allowed him to lead her away. He took her to the end of the hall they were in and immediately Apparated them to a trendy and posh café just off what appeared to be Diagon Alley. Almost as soon as they had arrived, the two were being escorted through the café and into a private room in the back that had the most beautiful view of Rome she had ever seen. Though she knew it was simply a charmed window, she still couldn't help but to admire the scenery.

'If it is your desire to see Rome, I would gladly escort you there for a holiday. However, I feel that right now, we have other more pressing matters to discuss.'

'I quite agree, Mr. Malfoy.'

It seemed as if he had arranged everything beforehand, for almost as soon as she was seated, a bottle of champagne was brought along with an assortment of sandwiches to consume for lunch. Once the wait staff had left the quaint room, her suspicions were confirmed.

'I hope you do not mind, Miss Granger, but I have taken the liberty of ordering our lunch when I placed the reservation. I doubt you wish to be interrupted any more than I do.'

'Thank you.'

He offered up a small and almost sarcastic toast to wedded bliss before they both sipped their drinks behind smirks. It was clear that he wasn't any more thrilled about this edict than she was. However, now was not the time to get into their respective gripes against the Ministry. As he had so eloquently put it, there were more pressing matters to discuss. She spoke first.

'I know that we were given a week after the ceremony to settle our affairs, however, I only need a few minutes this afternoon. Ron and I spent most of the weekend trying to get things in order and managed to accomplish most of it. The only things left are some legal matters that require notarised documents and the like. A few signatures and I will be set to move to wherever it is you choose for me to reside. I'll assume that is Malfoy Manor?'

'You would assume correctly,' he confirmed. 'I had the house elves prepare a set of rooms for you on the third floor of the East Wing, not too far from my own rooms. They are currently naked, so once you move in you are free to choose your own palate. You will not have to concern yourself with seeing me too often, as I keep long hours at my office and usually keep to my study in the evenings. I also have a set of Vanishing Cabinets that I utilize, one in my study and the other in my private sitting room. My study is at the other end of the Manor and I am often too tired to walk the distance at night,' he said by way of an explanation.

She nodded in understanding and the two paused for a few moments to enjoy some of the sandwiches. Hermione noticed that the window was now showing the Boston, Massachusetts skyline and shook her head. Boston at night seemed like a beautiful place. Her attention was brought back to London when her companion began to speak again.

'You will be allowed to maintain your current employment and can do as you please with your income. However, when the time comes that you are in the delicate condition, I would much prefer that you quit your job and stay home.' His eyes took on a far away look for a moment before he refocused and went on. 'A vault at Gringott's has been set up for you, in case you should need anything. We will need to go over there and set up the magical signatures so that you have full access, but after that, the money is yours to use as you see fit. That money, however, is not for the children. Funds will be set aside for them when they arrive. I have permanent accounts set up at Twilfit and Tattings, should you need clothing, and also at Flourish and Blotts. If there are other stores you wish to patronise, you need only tell me and I can make arrangements for you. Should you desire a day of pampering with your girl friends, The Garden of Eden is at your full disposal.'

Hermione's breath caught I her throat. The Garden of Eden? That was the hottest and most exclusive spa in all of England! Of course, with Malfoy money it didn't surprise her that she would be able to get in before the fifteen month average scheduling wait. Now that she had that immediate access, she fully intended on making use of it. She just needed to call Ginny.

Her brain ground to a halt and Lucius seemed to notice the change in her demeanour.

'Perhaps it would be wise to not only invite the Weasley girl but also perhaps the new wives of your friends Potter and Weasley? I'll have my managers cancel all other appointments for, say, Friday? That will give you plenty of time to arrange things with the women who will be your tightest social circle.'

'But…but how…?' she stammered.

He smirked at her before replying. 'I am the sole proprietor of The Garden. It was Narcissa's idea during her first pregnancy to have a place to relax and be pampered and the business took off. I must say that I was sceptical at first, but the business more than paid for itself during the first year.'

'But that was over twenty five years ago!'

'Which is exactly why I have not closed it. The profits are enormous and Narcissa frequently visited. I presume she still will. As for the other question I can see in your eyes, I have no intention of sequestering you from your friends. This is a marriage and not a prison sentence. I simply ask that should you wish to invite them for dinner, you inform me of your plans before sending owls.'

She readily agreed, as she could most certainly see why he wouldn't like any unexpected guests. Lunch appeared to be progressing well, the sandwiches were gone and some petit fours appeared on the table in front of them just as soon as their plates disappeared. Hermione noticed that the blond wizard never mentioned a preferred dress code for her, nor any slights on her manners. She also took note to the fact that he seemed to be avoiding any talk of them being together in the biblical sense. Reluctantly, she broached the topic.

'As far as children are concerned, I have been charting my cycle for a few years now and I know my body pretty well.'

'Charting your cycle?' he inquired. 'What does that have to do with children?'

'Well, the female body gives off signs to let you know when you are most fertile. If you know what you are looking for, you can easily plan intercourse to conceive or to prevent, which is what I have been using it for. There are a few days every month where I am the most likely to get pregnant and we can use that information to not only expedite our conception but to also limit our, err, encounters…if we should so desire.'

He looked like he had swallowed a lemon and Hermione assumed it was from the thought of him being forced to have sex with someone the same age as his son. She refused to believe it was in disgust of touching someone of her blood status and focused instead on the age difference. They were worlds apart in almost every respect and Hermione knew that some of those differences were insurmountable. The fact that he had basically assured her that they would have little interaction meant that she didn't have to worry about their dissimilarities. He would simply be the father of her children and a presence in the house. Nothing more.

With lunch finished, Lucius offered to Apparate Hermione to the Manor so that she would be able to access the grounds. Once the wards were adjusted to accept her, he showed her the fastest route to her rooms and bade her good day. Now that she knew where it was she was living, she left the Manor and met Ron at Gringott's so that they could settle the last of their old lives.

It was an awkward meeting, as Ron had brought Megan with him. She was really a pretty girl, chin length dark hair, hazel eyes and an athletic frame, and she seemed genuinely please to make Hermione's acquaintance. When the paperwork was all signed and sorted, Ron and Hermione said goodbye to each other and turned to part ways. That was when she remembered about The Garden of Eden and Lucius's offer, which she quickly informed the new Mrs. Weasley about. Megan was very excited to be invited and almost squealed her thanks before turning to leave with Ron, shouting a 'see you then' over her shoulder. Hermione went back to what was now the Weasley's flat so that Hermione could transfer her things to Malfoy Manor smiling. Being married to a Malfoy might not be so bad after all…


	5. Chapter 5

DISCLAIMER: I am not JK Rowling. I don't work for any entity that holds right to anything in the Harry Potter universe. There is no money being made from the writing of this fic. No infringement is intended.

A/N: Remember that it is always darkest just before you turn on the lights...

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Chapter five

Hermione had just finished putting away the last of her books. That was just another reason why she loved magic; all of her unpacking had been done with little effort on her part. With nothing more than a few flicks of her wand, she was able to store away her clothes, books, shoes and memories in various places around the rooms she had been given. Her toiletries found their way into her spacious bathroom, along with her robe and favourite slippers. It wasn't until she moved to set her pillow down on the bed that she realized the entirety of her rooms were stark and bare. The walls were eggshell, the window treatments were a basic white gauze and all of the linens, both in the bedroom and bathroom, were the same basic white. She had noticed in her sitting room that there had only been one chair and finally everything clicked into place. The room was hers to decorate as she saw fit.

Her first instinct was to call for Lucius to find out where to start, what stores he recommended and how soon she could get it finished. Then she remembered the detached way he left her in her rooms earlier and realized that he probably had better things to be doing other than helping a twenty-six year old girl decorate her bedroom. Her next thought was to call Ginny for a bit of retail therapy, but there was no Floo powder in her room and she didn't have the foggiest notion as to where Ginny would be at the moment, or even if her last name was still Weasley. Perhaps a house elf would help her out and though she knew there were some living at the Manor, she had no idea what their names were to call upon one. She was stuck.

Like any other time in her life when she wasn't sure what to do, she pulled out a book and looked for a place to sit and read. Upon inspection, Hermione discovered that the windows in her sitting room had benches built into the frame. She threw open the curtains, opened one of the windows and took a deep breath. This would be her sanctuary in this house. She knew it. Curling herself onto the window seat, she cracked open a Muggle romance novel and got lost in the story of a woman finding herself sexually at the hands of a rugged deep sea explorer.

Several hours later, a small house elf wearing what appeared to be a new white pillowcase materialized at her side.

'Master wants to know if Miss will be joining him for dinner?'

'Dinner? What time is it?'

'Just passes seven, Miss. I is supposed to take you to the dining room for dinner.'

Hermione was about to ask if she was suitably dressed when she realized that she was still in her transfigured gown from the ceremony. She grabbed her wand, marked her place in her book and returned her clothing to her usual work attire. Once she was satisfied, she put her wand between her teeth while twisting her hair up into a loose bun. She then used her wand to secure her unruly mane and followed the elf from her room.

It was fortunate that she had the elf to follow, for she never would have found her way on her own. Two levels down, a few left turns, and it was the third set of double doors on the right hand side. The room itself was quite formal, the table had enough chairs for twenty people, and Lucius was seated at the end nearest a giant fireplace. There was a setting on his immediate right, so that was where Hermione went to sit. As she entered the room fully, he stood like any gentleman would and moved to hold her seat for her. Once she was seated, he resumed his seat and the food was served.

There was very little conversation during the actual meal. Neither seemed certain what to say to the other, and both were fully enjoying their meals. It wasn't until dessert was served that he really addressed her.

'Are your rooms satisfactory?'

'I was meaning to ask you about that,' she began. 'The rooms are very bare and I would like to decorate them, but I really have no idea where to start. Would you be able to recommend some shops for me to go to? Ginny usually helps me out on these things, but I haven't the foggiest where to find her anymore. I mean, I could send an owl to Mrs. Weasley at the Burrow, but again, I don't know where to find an owl and I never had one of my own. I always just used Pig.' Hermione finished talking and realized that she had been rambling. Lucius, oddly enough, didn't seem to mind.

'Not a problem. I'll have Zeus sent to your rooms later for you to send an owl out. He will be your personal owl and you will only need to call his name for him to come to you. As to the shopping, Pipsy will bring by a list of stores that should suffice your needs. Simply have them bill my account.'

'Thank you,' replied Hermione with a slight smile.

Lucius brought his napkin to his mouth, dabbing it at the corners and then placed it down next to his plate. He then cleared his throat and took a deep breath to give himself a moment to prepare for what was to come next.

'I recall you saying that you were able to predict when you are best able to conceive.' At her nod, he continued. 'I think it would probably be best for us if we limited our…interactions…to those times when the chance would be best. Do you agree?'

A humiliated warmth spread through her at his words but she refused to acknowledge it just then. She would think on it later. For the moment, though, she agreed and proceeded to inform him when her most fertile days were in her cycle. He accepted her information without any argument and agreed to meet her in her rooms the following evening at nine. Rising from the table, he called for Pipsy and stood to leave the room. When he reached the doorway, he stopped for a moment to address Hermione once again.

'The gown you wore today for the ceremony, where did you purchase it?'

'Err, I didn't. I just transfigured it from what I am wearing now.'

'Where did you get the idea for it? Was it a dress you had seen in a store front?'

She furrowed her brow in question, but answered, 'No. It was simply the design I had always wanted to wear when I finally walked down the aisle. Simple, yet elegant.'

'Indeed. It was a lovely gown. It suits you.' The ghost of a smile played across his features, but she barely had the chance to see it. He turned from the room and closed the door behind him.

Later that night, in the safety of her own bedroom, she analysed the dinner conversation. He had been nice enough when she asked for assistance in decorating. It seemed like he was making an effort to allow her a life outside of the Manor and she was pleased that he was allowing her to maintain her friendships despite his dislike for her friends. She was also pleasantly surprised at his gift of an owl, though she would have ended up with one anyway, even if she had to purchase it herself. Finally knowing the name of one of the house elves was also very helpful. Now she didn't feel completely alienated in the manse she now called home.

It was the conversation regarding their pending intimacies that gave her pause. While she wasn't sure she really wanted to have sex with him, she was fully intending on making the best of a bad situation. If everything she had heard, every rumour she had read were true, then Lucius Malfoy was a stallion in the sack. It seemed, though, that he really had no interest in bedding her. Then again, she was the same age as his son, was someone who had been forced upon him by the Ministry, and was so far removed from the beauty that is Narcissa Malfoy that he probably wasn't even attracted to her. His good looks seemed to be unfailing, but there was a small, niggling part of her that couldn't get past the fact that he was old enough to be her father.

It almost seemed as if they had nothing in common. Their two interactions since this all began had been filled with more agreeing to terms and awkward silences, than the proverbial "getting to know you" that any normal new couple would engage in. He made it a point to avoid her and to let her know where he could usually be found so that she could avoid him as well. Then just now at dinner, he had made it abundantly clear that he had zero intention in sharing her bed any more than was necessary to conceive a baby. If that was going to be the way of it, she would need to stop at an adult toy shop and start a collection. Thanks to the Fidelity Charms cast with the blood oath they had taken, she couldn't seek comfort elsewhere. She would miss the intimacies and light bondage she had enjoyed with Ron, but she would get over it. She had to.

The subsequent twenty four hours passed in a blur. Hermione awoke to find Zeus perched on her night stand, holding a note in his beak from Ginny. In it, there were no questions about planning an outing, but rather the red head took it upon herself to arrange a day of shopping in London for the two witches. They met at the Leaky Cauldron. Lucius had accompanied her and the three went to Gringotts, Lucius and Hermione to set up Hermione's accounts and Ginny to withdraw some Galleons. Once Lucius left them, they spent the morning roaming from shop to shop in Diagon Alley, purchasing linens, furniture and other assorted wares to outfit Hermione's new living quarters. Lunch consisted of Ginny grilling Hermione on her new home and her new husband's prowess, though she didn't believe the brunette at first when told that they hadn't done the deed yet. The afternoon was spent in Muggle London doing more shopping, only this time for clothes and shoes. Hermione helped Ginny pick out a wedding gown (she was to marry Dean Thomas the following day) and the witches ended their day with a portkey to Hogsmeade for dinner at The Three Broomsticks. They said their goodbye's after the meal and agreed to see each other again on Friday at The Garden of Eden for a spa day. Ginny walked down the street towards the Weasley's joke shop in Hogsmeade and Hermione turned on the spot, Apparating back to Wiltshire.

The clock chimed eight as she crossed the threshold into her sitting room. Knowing that she still had an hour before he came to her, she decided that a bath was in order. She stripped down, filled the tub and proceeded to prepare for the best while expecting the worst. Hair washed, legs and arm pits shaved, she emerged from the bath and dressed in a simple night gown. She sat at her newly acquired vanity and attempted to tame her hair before mussing it up again. That was how he found her, knocking just as the clock struck nine and entering her room upon her request.

There was no sense of intimacy between them. The act was done in as little time as possible and Hermione got the distinct impression that he was trying not to touch her much. At first he took her hand and moved her to the bed. He sat her on the edge and moved between her legs. She was hopeful that perhaps it wouldn't be as strange as she feared, but she was wrong. Lucius asked her to lay back before he moved her night dress up her thighs, released himself from his trousers and moved her knickers aside before muttering a lubrication spell and thrusting inside of her. He moved fast and furious inside of her and it was all she could do to keep herself from crying. It didn't hurt, at least not physically, but his detached countenance made her feel cheap. She closed her eyes, noting that he had long since done the same, and tried to find some pleasure in the act.

He came with a slight grunt, steadying himself above her before regaining enough strength to move from between her legs. Once he had his footing, he withdrew his wand and used it to clean them both up. Then he put his now flaccid length back behind his fly and adjusted his shirt. He asked her if she was alright and then swept from the room, informing her that he would return the next night to try again.

The moment the door closed, she rushed to the bathroom and emptied the content of her stomach into the toilet. She then got a hot shower, hotter than she could really stand, before falling onto a soft recliner that she had purchased earlier that day and crying herself to sleep. The next morning, she showered and went to work, going about her day as if she were a robot and dreading the night to come. Unfortunately for her, it ended up being more of the same. He came to her just as the clock struck nine and left her rooms at half past. Once again she took a scalding shower. Once again she cried herself to sleep on the chair.

The only good thing about her encounter with Lucius on Thursday night was that it was the last for the month. In a normal cycle, she had three days where she was the most fertile and this was the last of them. Like she had done the previous two evenings, she bathed before he came to her. However, instead of waiting for him at her vanity, she waiting on the edge of her bed, hoping to shave a few seconds off the time she would have to look at him. It didn't matter to her that he was attractive. It also didn't matter that he asked after her once they were finished. She still felt used and violated. This night was no different.

He muttered a lubrication spell just before he entered her, which was beneficial for she was sure that otherwise, she would be bone dry. Lucius thrust into her over and over while she bit her lip to hold back the tears. Her breathing hitched a little, a small sob escaping her before she regained control of her emotions. Hermione thought she heard him whispering something, but she couldn't quite make it out before his pace changed and he came into her, muttering something else. He was on his feet in record time and headed out of her room, but he still managed to ask about her well being before he left her.

That night, as she cried herself to sleep, she prayed to every deity she knew that she would not get her monthly visitor this month.

Two weeks later, she had some spotting. The next morning, her curse arrived with full force. That night after dinner, she spoke to Lucius for the first time since he had left her room those few weeks before.

'I got my period today. Just thought I would tell you. I should be fertile again in about twelve days, so we can try again this month.'

He swallowed hard and spoke without meeting her eyes. 'Thank you for informing me. Let me know for certain and hopefully we won't fail this time.'

Hermione nodded, rose, and left him in the dining room. Just as the door was closing behind her, Lucius visibly slumped in his seat. He left the dining room and walked briskly to his study. Hermione had hid in the shadows outside of the dining room and followed him at a distance to see how he would take the news. What she ended up seeing was a man who knew how to knock back his alcohol. First one shot of firewhisky and then another followed before the third was sipped slowly while he leaned against the fireplace. She turned from the scene and walked back to her rooms. If this was how he was going to react to the situation, then she would do what she could to help things along.

The next morning, Hermione woke to find a vase of flowers on her night stand. Inside the vase were Gladiolus, Larkspur, and Hydrangea. Laying next to the vase was a jewellery box with a small card on it. The box held a delicate gold chain with the largest teardrop diamond she had ever seen. She sighed, setting the necklace aside before turning her attention to the card. It was a note letting her know that The Garden of Eden would be closed the next day for her and her friends, signed with an ornate "L" in the lower right hand corner, confirming her suspicions that the gifts were from Mr. Malfoy. She did have to give him a little credit, though. Even though she would never wear the necklace, the flowers were nice. She wondered if they were simply put together for looks or if he really knew the meanings behind the various flowers. Strength of character, a beautiful spirit, perseverance and apology. Maybe this was his way of saying 'We'll get it right next time.' Either way, she was very much looking forward to another trip to the spa.

Over the course of the next six months, Hermione and Lucius fell into a routine. Every day, they went to work and lived their normal lives. Dinners would be together at the Manor with nary a word more than needed spoken between the two. If she needed something from him, he would get it for her with no questions asked. If he needed her to do something for him, she was with him. There was the occasional dinner party that she was required to attend and be social at, but even those consisted of a certain detachment. After dinner each night, Lucius would retire to his study and Hermione would head out to a friends house. Some evenings, she would go to her old flat to visit with Ron and Megan, who were getting along very well. Other nights would find her at Grimmauld Place with Harry and his wife Angelina Potter, nee Johnson. Still other nights, everyone would meet at the Thomas' house to visit with Dean and Ginny. Hermione never had anyone over to the Manor to visit and spent as little time there as humanly possible.

Once a month, Hermione would meet with Megan, Ginny and Angelina at The Garden of Eden for a spa day. It was a great bonding time for the women and they learned a lot about each other and their respective husbands. Angelina and Harry were apparently going like rabbits, so it was no surprise when she became pregnant that first month. They were due to have a boy and would be naming him James Sirius after Harry's dad and Godfather. Ginny and Dean, having dated at Hogwarts, fell back into a relationship easily. They got pregnant in July. Ron and Megan weren't expecting yet, but according to Megan, they were enjoying the practice, nonetheless. It was always hard for Hermione to hear Megan speak of Ron, but she never held it against other girl. Instead of being bitter about the whole thing, she readily offered up advice on what Ron liked, what he hated and how to get him going, both in and out of the bedroom. The advice went a long way towards building a relationship between the two witches and now Megan and Hermione were as thick as thieves. Yet whenever anyone would ask about Hermione and Lucius, she would simply say that they were doing what they could, but were not yet pregnant.

Hermione and Lucius still has sex only three days a month. Each night, he would enter her rooms at nine sharp, have his way with her and leave. She knew when he was about to come because he would begin whispering, though she never quite knew what he was saying and before he would leave for the night, he would ask of her well being. Whether she was alright or not, she always told him she was fine, if for no other reason to be alone with her thoughts. Every month that passed where she didn't get pregnant, he would send her something extravagant that was completely not her style and a bouquet of the same flowers that she received that first month. It was a nice gesture, but it further proved that he knew very little about her. She knew things needed to change between them, but she had no idea how to go about it.

The beginning of October heralded more stressful times. Hermione wasn't sleeping well at nights, and the frustration of not yet being with child was weighing heavily on her. Lucius, for his part, was under just as much, if not more stress than she was. Aside from not being able to impregnate the young witch, he was also dealing with some shady dealings from a few financial advisors he had just begun to work with for his end of the year audits. Having fired two of them, he found himself doing the lions share of the work. So when Hermione received an owl from Megan just before sitting down to dinner one Friday in early October, Hermione knew that she was about to be dealt a crushing blow. The owl didn't disappoint. Megan and Ron were expecting twins.

Dinner that night was a tense affair, both Malfoy's completely on edge and neither wanting to say anything for fear of hexing the other. It also didn't help that this was day two of Hermione's most fertile days. Both Lucius and Hermione were dreading the night to come and what it would bring with it. Sex between them had become a chore, and while Hermione knew this, Lucius had a plan to fix it. He just needed her to be willing.

Hermione retired to her rooms to prepare for the evening ahead. Lucius, in turn, went to his study to finish up a ledger he had been working on. Once it was finished, he put his things away and began the walk to Hermione's rooms, mentally preparing the speech he was going to give her.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter six

She was in the shower when he let himself into her room. He heard the water running and crossed through her bed chambers to the doorway of her bathroom. Pushing open the door, he saw her small frame through the fogged up glass of the shower stall. He stood there to admire her form for a moment before clearing his throat to alert her to his presence.

'Merlin's beard!' she exclaimed. 'You scared the daylights out of me! Are you mad?'

'We need to talk, Miss Granger,' he said while trying to hold back a chuckle. The act became more difficult when she stuck her arm out of the glass enclosure and began reaching blindly for her towel. She was acting as if he had never seen her naked before.

She Summoned her towel, shut off the taps and emerged with the towel wrapped around her midsection. Once she was fully out of the stall, a second towel found its way onto her head, wrapping her hair up and absorbing the excess water. Then she turned on him and scowled.

'Do you always walk in on unsuspecting women, Mr. Malfoy? Am I no longer allowed my privacy? You know you could have waited in the other room for me. I was naked in there!'

He looked mildly affronted. 'Am I not allowed to see my own wife naked?' He paused, looked at his shoes for a moment and then turned to leave the room. 'I'll wait for you out here.'

It wasn't lost on Hermione that even though he thought of her as his wife, he still referred to her as Miss Granger. He had done so in private since day one. When necessity called for him to make introductions, he always did so by saying, 'This is my wife,' and letting her reputation as a war heroine fill in the rest. There wasn't a soul alive who didn't know who she was or who she was married to. No further introduction was needed. However, the road went both ways; she still called him Mr. Malfoy.

Hermione dressed in the night gown she usually wore on these nights, pulled on some clean knickers, and left the bathroom. Lucius wasn't in her bedroom though. She found him sitting in one of the arm chairs in front of her fireplace in the sitting room. Crossing the room, she took the chair opposite him and waited for him to speak.

'I realize that things have not been the best between us. I can not help but think that we got off on the wrong foot. With your permission, I would like the chance to start over with you. I do not imagine that you are getting any more pleasure out of our current arrangement than I am.'

'No. There is very little pleasure derived from our couplings.'

'Well, then. How shall we fix it?'

She snorted at him. 'Obviously you have some ideas or you wouldn't have come to my rooms an hour early to discuss this. Besides, you always have at least one plan formulating in that beautiful head of yours.'

He stared at her for a moment, but she rushed on. 'You know you're handsome, so don't even pretend to be surprised that I have noticed. I'm not blind, Mr. Malfoy.'

'Lucius.'

Now she paused and started. 'I beg your pardon?'

'If we are going to get past this, you will need to call me Lucius. Mr. Malfoy is simply too formal…Hermione.'

She sighed. He was right, of course. They needed to take the form and formality out of their marriage, or it would never work and she would be doomed to spend the rest of her days making better friends with her shower head than her husband.

'Something else we should probably try,' he said, interrupting her thoughts, 'would be to not have sex simply to procreate. The frustration of it still not happening after all these months can not be good for our goal.'

'No,' she agreed. 'In fact, the stress isn't good at all. I have taken to getting a massage at The Garden every day I know we need to do…it…just to try and relax a bit. I am also attempting to get at least eight hours of sleep every night and I have been eating better. My vitamins even include folic acid now. I am doing everything I can to help make this happen, but the truth is that it could take longer. A fertility specialist won't even see me until we have been trying for over a year without success.'

'We need to just relax and try to let it happen,' Lucius said. 'My…rushed interactions with you have been faulty at best. That isn't me. We need a new start. Let me make a new start with you.'

He was on his knees before her, taking her hands in his before she realized that he had moved. 'Maybe,' he continued, 'if we tried to act like an actual couple, if we behaved more like your friends, we would be able to find the same happiness.'

She began to shake her head. 'I don't think that's -'

His lips cut her off, a hand moving to either side of her face as he kissed her fully for the first time. It was intense, and it took all of her will power not to succumb to his will. She suspected that a bit of alcohol was involved in his change in demeanour, but when his tongue sought hers, no trace of the taste could be found. That was when she allowed him to take full control of the kiss, manipulating her head to suit his favoured angle, before he pulled back a bit to speak again.

'Why do we fight this?' he enquired between kisses. 'Things could be so good between us if only you would let go of your hate for me. You aren't the only one who was forced into this relationship.'

'I don't hate you, Mr. Malfoy.' At his quirked eyebrow, she amended, 'Lucius. Really, I don't. I don't know you well enough to hate you. I may hate what you stand for and the way you go about doing things, but it isn't you personally. It has never been you personally.'

'Then enlighten me. Why do you continue to push against me after everything I have done to ease this transition for you?'

Hermione sighed heavily, pushing him away a bit before standing and going into her bedroom. He followed her as she went to her vanity and sat down, while he took a seat on the edge of her bed. She picked up her brush and addressed him through her mirror.

'You still fail to see things from any point of view other than your own. Have you ever heard the saying "you can't teach an old dog new tricks"? Well, the same is proving true for men as well. I'm not like any woman you have ever had the pleasure of knowing. I can not be bought or bribed and I will not fall head over heels for you simply because of your name, status or wealth. Those things mean nothing to me compared to the desire to just be wanted and needed.

'The witches that occupy your upper crust lifestyle are simple. You buy them pretty things, allow them access to your vaults and they are content. Don't think I haven't seen the rooms set aside here simply for use as wardrobes. There is no way in this lifetime or the next that I could ever purchase enough clothes to fill the closets in this room, let alone all those other rooms! And all these drawers for jewellery? I have no need for all of that. I'm a simple girl with simple needs, Mr. Malfoy. Lucius.'

'Simple for you and simple for me are two entirely different things,' he began, sitting himself on the edge of the bed closer to her seat at the vanity. 'It is simple for me to open lines of credit for you to shop. It is simple for me to purchase rare stones and fancy pieces to gift to you. It is simply how I was raised to treat women and not a slight against you. The witches that occupy my upper crust lifestyle, as you so eloquently put it, equate wealth with happiness. The more wealth you can display, the happier they are. Wizards are nothing more than the proverbial arm candy for them. That is the way of it for me. It is all I have known.'

'Then you need to be open to change.' Hermione turned to face him, not caring that her nightdress was riding up her legs and no longer covered her properly. 'Learn what makes other people happy. And I'm not just talking about myself. You treat everyone the same. Me, your son, your associates. Not everyone wants to be bought.'

His eyes lit up at the prospect of making his life easier, for he knew that if he could please this witch who was forced into his bed then he would, in turn, receive pleasure. Their minimal encounters had left him lacking and the vows that had been taken had left both with only the company of themselves and their imaginations. He was a man who could never grow accustomed to quick, meaningless shagging and was almost giddy at the idea of a more physical relationship with the witch who was growing to mean something to him. It wouldn't be easy, but he was willing to try.

'Teach me,' he began. 'Tell me your desires, your interests. What makes you happy? Obviously it isn't the gems that are now collecting dust somewhere…' His voice trailed off as a slight smile played across Hermione's mouth.

'I like what most normal women like: romance. I want to be taken out to dinner for good food and good conversation and not just to be seen. I want to go dancing and stay out so late that I have to take my shoes off on the way home because my feet are that sore. I want to be taken to see a film at a Muggle cinema by someone who won't pull their hand away when our fingers collide in the popcorn bucket. I want to hold hands while walking down the street because the man I am with just needs to touch me whenever he can.

'You want to make me happy?' she asked. 'Then don't hold back your feelings from me. Tell me when you are upset. Don't blow me off when I ask how your day went. Allow me to cuddle up next to you on a sofa rather than each of us sitting separately in front of the fire. Put in some electricity, even if only in my rooms, so that I can watch my favourite shows and movies or listen to music while I am in my shower. And before you ask, Celestina Warbeck and those other wizarding artists don't count. I much prefer my Muggle music and last I checked, there wasn't a Muggle station on the Wizarding Wireless.'

After a short laugh, Hermione moved across the small space separating them and joined Lucius on the edge of her bed. Her voice grew soft, but serious as she continued. 'I don't need fancy things, but I do like to be spoiled. Take me shopping, but let me choose the stores. Let me spend an afternoon getting lost in Harrod's and then take me to McDonald's for dinner. I would much rather have deli sandwiches on a bench by the Thames than eat out at a fancy restaurant any night. If you feel the need to spend your money on me, then spend it on things that I would appreciate rather than on items you know I will never use. Donate to an orphanage. Give money to Hogwarts. St. Mungo's. Or if you feel that you are already charitable enough, buy me books! Better yet, buy me a library! A place where I can read anything from the latest Potions periodical to trashy Muggle romance novels where the heroine suddenly decides that the dog collars she was sent to purchase for her high class doggy day care would look rather good on herself after experiencing a rather intense scene at a BDSM night club -'

There was a glint in Lucius's eyes now and Hermione blushed a bit, for she knew the cause. She could also predict the question that was about to fall from his lips, but decided to just let him ask. Her answer would probably shock him, but she didn't care one tiny bit.

'You're into BDSM?'

Predictable.

'It's always the quiet ones, right? Isn't that what they say?' He looked gob smacked, but she went on. 'I know what I like, Lucius. I'm twenty six years old and was engaged to be married before this travesty of a law brought us together. Besides, you can't be classified a bookworm if you don't read everything there is out there to read, right?'

'But, how? No offence, Hermione, but you've never seemed the Dominatrix type to me.'

She smiled. 'That's because I'm not a Domme. I'm submissive.'

It was as if Christmas had come early to the Malfoy patriarch. Though it seemed a bit too good to be true, he knew that he would have to wait and see if her kinks matched up with what he enjoyed as well. If they did, then he would start her down the path to becoming his, in every sense of the word. Would she be his slave? Perhaps his pet? Did her enjoyment run more along the lines of a Daddy/little girl-type relationship? He didn't know, but he was going to find out. And if she enjoyed fetishes that he wasn't quite into, then at least he knew that they could play together in the future. Either way, he knew that his marriage-by-force had just gotten a bit more interesting.

'Explain.' His tone shook her to the core, for it was something she had last heard back in the Department of Mysteries during her fifth year. The commanding, calculating and thoroughly in control Lucius Malfoy was FINALLY emerging before her and it took all of her will power to hold back the shudder that threatened to rip through her. However, unlike fifth year, it wasn't fear that rocked her, but pure arousal.

'Oddly enough, it started after fourth year. I was home for the summer hols and picked up a Harlequin novel from my mum's stash of books. I don't remember much of the story, but there was a scene where it mentioned being collared and it got me wondering: why would someone want to wear a collar like an animal? So I began to research, which is what I do best, apparently. The simple mention of being collared led me to information about the lifestyle. Dominants. Subs. Tops. Bottoms. Slaves and so on. I discovered that to be collared was actually a huge thing and it made me want to know more. What did being collared infer? Did the sub give up everything to their Dom? Is the Dom just on a power trip? Can they decide to do whatever whenever? There were so many questions and every answer just brought more questions with it.

'It took the better part of two years before I realized that I was reading the same things over and over and no new knowledge would come from my books. Then again, had I been reading on the subject more often, I would have reached that conclusion far sooner. O.W.L.'s took up a lot of my time and then during sixth year… Well, there was a lot on my plate between Ron being a prat and Harry's obsession with Dr - err… Well, you know. Anyways, during what would have been my seventh year, there wasn't much time for me to seek out a library or anything for fear of death,' she chuckled, 'and so things were put on hold until after You Know Who fell. That's when I put myself back on task.

'Ron and I had finally gotten together and, while I know you probably don't want to hear this, he was my first and really helped me find my footing. He came across my notes one day and asked me about them. Of course I was a bit bashful about it at the time, but he didn't care. If anything, he seemed just as intrigued as I was about the whole thing. We tried different roles, different scenes, different implements, all the while with me being the one to dominate him. He enjoyed it, but I could never get past a mental block of some sort. Ron just played it off as me trying to be sure to get it right, but I knew that wasn't it because the entire time I was playing with him, I was imagining myself in his position. When I finally opened up to him about it, he gave me a look like I had somehow turned into a Blast Ended Skrewt or something of the like.

'He agreed to top me one day, to try the shoe on the other foot if you will. He wasn't sure how he would enjoy it, as he really came to enjoy calling me Mistress. Even though we discovered that he isn't as much of a sadist as he is a masochist, we found other ways to play. Our first interaction with him in control was a bit of role playing with him as a professor and me a student who failed to turn in her assignment on time. I learned that very hour, almost that first minute, the freedom that came with giving up control to another. To someone both trusted and loved.

'Our lives changed after that. While he was never the Master I truly desired, he brought me pleasure from the simple things that he did for me. I still controlled most of the household, but then again, Ron never was very good with money. I wore the pants in the daytime, but at night, behind closed doors, I gave up everything to him with the knowledge that he knew what I needed and would do nothing without my best interests in mind.'

Lucius swallowed hard. It really was too much for him. The only thing keeping him from stepping into the role of her Master, her Lord, or whatever title the two would agree to use, was to know exactly what it was that she desired from a prospective partner. However, her answer to his inquiry both elated and saddened him.

'I'm not really sure what I like or where my limits are. I do, however, know what I will not do. I'm not into water sports, I don't like breath play and I know that I would never address a partner of mine as "daddy" because I still call my father by that name at times. There is a lot that I am curious about, but that's neither here nor there, really.'

'Oh, my dear,' he said in an almost predatory tone, 'that is completely here. You've been holding out on me and I fully intend to collect payment for all those nights that could have been so much more had you just opened up to me like a proper wife should.'


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling. I do not work for any entity that owns rights to Harry Potter or his universe. I am making no money from the writing of this fiction and no infringement is intended.

* * *

_Chapter seven_

She noticed the glint in his eyes and it made her insides clench in anticipation. Though she was loath to admit it, she had always found his darker side attractive and wondered what it would be like for him to turn it on her in a completely sexual way. Now she was about to find out and it didn't worry her in the slightest.

'If anything bothers you,' he said as he moved her back onto the bed, 'if I cross any lines, tell me. Do you have a safe word?'

She nodded and replied, 'Colonel.'

'Colonel?' he repeated to be sure he heard her correctly. When she nodded again, he asked, 'why Colonel?'

'Well, it's stupid really, but you remind me a bit of a character in a movie I once saw. He was insanely attractive, looks a lot like you but with dark hair, but was insanely sadistic. Shot a boy for trying to save his brother, killed wives and children because their fathers and husbands were fighting against his side in a war, and even locked a village full of people in a church before burning the church.'

Lucius looked at her incredulously. 'I remind you of this character? That's not saying much for your opinion of me.'

'Oh no! No. You misunderstood. You only remind me of him physically. Look just like him. You could be his twin if only your hair was darker.'

'This man was an officer?'

'Yes,' she replied. 'Perhaps we could watch it together some day and you can see what I mean.'

'Movies later. Sex now. I will listen for "Colonel" but other than that, I don't want to hear you speak unless spoken to. Understood?' She nodded and he murmured, 'Good girl,' before pushing her fully back on the bed and beginning an oral assault on her neck. His left hand gripped her wrists while his right reached for his wand. Once he had it in hand, he paused long enough to properly secure her wrists above her head. She felt a frisson of fear, but it was quickly replaced by relief.

This was it. This was how it should be. Even though she hardly knew the man who was now removing her night gown, she knew enough to be confident in the fact that had he wanted to hurt her, he wouldn't have waited this long to do it. She released any hesitation and tension in her body, closed her eyes and allowed the sensations his hands and mouth were providing to fill her up and take her away from all the pressures that stupid law had created for her. Just as she felt her night gown leave her body, his voice came to her, soft and seductive.

'What do you want, pet?' he asked as he continued to touch and tease her body. 'Tell me what that boy did to you and I promise to take you farther than he could.'

She couldn't help but respond to his imperious tone. 'He was into light bondage. Silk scarves and simple spells were all he would use. He would tickle me and sometimes, when I begged and pleaded, he would spank me, but never much and never with anything other than his hand. I… I need…more.'

'And would you like me to spank you, Hermione?' He had moved to her breasts, barely a handful but pert and firm in his hands. She breathed a 'yes' and he began to pinch and pluck at her nipples. 'Do you want me to tease you mercilessly?' He pinched harder and alternated attention between both breasts. 'What if I drove you to the edge and didn't let you fall?' His teeth began to nip her skin. 'Would you beg for me to let you come?'

At that moment, it got to be too much for her and she shouted her orgasm to the ceiling in the form of a startling, 'Yes!' It had come upon her so fast that she had no time to prepare for it. His attentions to her breasts, after having limited touch for so long, had driven her body into a frenzy. Both she and Lucius were shocked when she came, but as her body convulsed below him, Lucius took in every detail of her.

He watched the way her face scrunched up, her brow furrowed, mouth agape. He noticed how her hands clenched the slats of the headboard, her elbows pulled in tight against her ears. Her head thrashed from side to side and her hair quickly became a tangled mess. The bucking of her hips was almost rhythmic and he could feel the lower part of the bed move with her legs. Her face began to relax, a smile graced her features and her body came to rest as her climax ebbed. She opened her eyes and smiled up at him.

'Sorry bout that,' she whispered. 'Guess it's been too long since someone else had gotten me going like that.'

'Someone else?' She blushed at his question and she could tell by the twinkle in his eyes that he was fully intending to make her come like that at least once more before he left finished with her that evening.

He crawled down her body, trailing his hands down her sides and making her shiver in renewed arousal. When his fingers hooked in the waistband of her knickers, she closed her eyes and forced herself to relax. The fabric fell from her toes and she waited. Nothing happened for endless seconds, and when she chanced a look at the man in bed with her, she saw him raking his eyes over her naked form like a starving man at a banquet. Her initial instinct was to cover herself, but her hands were bound. So she moved to close her legs to him.

He was faster.

Hands gripped her ankles and forced them apart. Using his right knee, he trapped her left leg beneath him and began to tickle her right foot. He stayed at it just long enough for her to be really squirming and then proceeded to kiss his way up her leg. Hermione squeaked when he kissed the instep of her foot, sighed as he licked the spot behind her knee and moaned in agony when he stopped just before the place where her legs met, where she wanted him the most. He then turned his attentions on her other leg, repeating the torture he bestowed upon her just moments before. Yet again, he stopped his ministrations just before reaching her core.

She moaned in frustration when he pulled back from her to take in her flushed state. A satisfied smirk fell upon his face and Hermione moved instinctively to remove it. Wrapping her legs around his midsection, she locked her ankles and pulled him down on top of her. She knew immediately from the look on his face that she had done something wrong. Before she could think more on it, he had released her arms from their place on the headboard and was turning her over his knee. That was when he spoke, his voice calm and in control, his face a mask of indifference.

'In order for a punishment to be successful, the punished must understand why they are being disciplined. If they do not know the mistake they have made, they are doomed to repeat it. So I will ask you: do you know what you did wrong, pet?'

Hermione swallowed and rubbed her thighs together to try and ease some of the ache that was building up there. 'I tried to take control,' she replied, her voice heavy with arousal and her eyes squeezed shut.

'"I tried to take control", what?'

She felt a small trickle down the inside of her thigh and knew that he could tell this was turning her on. She could only hope that he wouldn't make her wait too long before soothing her need. First, though, she needed to let him know that she was on the same page he was.

'I tried to take control, Sir.'

'Good girl,' he said with a slight smile to his voice, but then it was gone. 'For your presumption, you will be spanked. Since we are just starting out, I am only going to give you ten smacks with my hand. Perhaps after we work on your tolerance more…' He trailed off and ran his hand over her backside before raising his hand and bringing it down hard against her right cheek. 'Count them, pet.'

'One,' she said, a bit taken aback at the intensity of his strike. When the second hit with the same force as the first but on the opposite side, she was shocked but still managed to squeak out a 'two' before the third fell in almost the same place as the first. This time, when she verbally counted the strike, it came out as a hiss. The fourth elicited a cry from her and the fifth a slight sob. By the time his hand came down for the sixth time, she could feel the skin on her bum burning and with the eighth, she was no longer able to hold back the tears from falling down her cheeks. The most amazing part of the whole thing though, was that with every smack, every degrading moment when she would have to verbalize the number, she could feel her arousal growing. When Lucius had landed his last strike, not only was she openly crying, she was also dripping wet.

He knew she was crying, he hadn't taken it easy on her, but he was also ready to follow through and relieve the tension that he had caused to build in her. Taking her hand, he pulled her from across his lap and held her while she cried. He ran his fingers through her still damp hair and whispered in her ear soothing reassurances of how good she was, how beautiful and perfect.

His hands began to trail down her back. As his left gripped her hip to hold her closer to him, his right hand found its way between her thighs. He used his fingers to part her folds and brushed his thumb over her clit. The reaction was instantaneous. She shuddered against him, a soft 'oh God' falling from her lips. The moment he pushed two fingers inside of her, she exploded against him. A loud cry was torn from her as she convulsed around his fingers. It was the most intense orgasm she had ever experienced and the knowledge both excited and upset her. She didn't understand how someone so completely unlike anything she had ever known could bring her such pleasure. It also bothered her immensely that this man could illicit this type of reaction from her when the man she had loved with all her heart never did. She wasn't able to think on it for too long though, because as soon as she started to come down, Lucius was moving her from his lap and onto her back. Before the aftershocks of her orgasm had ended, he had removed his clothing, fallen between her thighs and was thrusting into her.

It was amazing how different this was. Every other encounter the two had endured together had been absolutely abysmal. There had been zero chemistry between them and the act itself had made her feel cheap and used. This time around, though… Oh she was definitely being used and she was sure to feel it later, but it was the most delicious sensation she had ever known. The feel of him moving inside of her without the need for a lubrication spell sent another wave of pleasure through her. He was very well endowed, but not so large as to hurt her. His body was toned, too, as if he spent time in the gym, and she noticed how well he fit between her legs. She could feel solid muscle under her hands as she ran them over his back and the sight of his hair cascading down around her face sent a thrill straight to her core.

He really was good. Without pausing in the slightest, he had managed to wrap her legs firmly around him and rolled them over so that she was on top. He pulled himself into a seated position and, planting his hands against the mattress, he used the leverage to thrust up into her until she was able to catch the rhythm he liked and take over. She loved the new angle and the intensely full feeling that went with it. Though she kept the same pace that Lucius had set, she tilted her hips on the down stroke so that her clit would be stimulated as well. The ache inside was becoming too much to bear, her previous two orgasms doing nothing to assuage the need inside of her. She doubled her efforts and increased her speed.

Lucius, for his part, was not a casual observer to the act. He could tell that she wanted to come again and he was very much enjoying her efforts to get off. His determination to not come too quickly was starting to wear out and he knew that if he allowed her to keep on the way she was going, he wouldn't last. The more she sped up, the more difficult it was for him. He gave up on supporting himself against the bed and wrapped his arms around her. As his hands found their way into her hair, his face found the space between her breasts. He laved attention to both of her nipples, her breasts and the delightfully sweet valley between them where he could taste the saltiness of her sweat. His tongue blazed a path up to her collarbone where he peppered kisses along her shoulders before working up her neck to her ears. When he felt the first fluttering of her vaginal muscles along his shaft, he pulled back to look at her.

'Open your eyes, Hermione,' he commanded.

The moment their eyes met, neither could hold back any longer. Her body tensed in his arms, her eyes wide in shock and her mouth wide in a silent scream. Then the dam broke inside of her and she collapsed into him. Their foreheads touched, their eyes still locked as Lucius pushed through her orgasm, trying in vain to hold back his own pleasure in order to prolong hers. The second her fingers wound into his hair, though, he was lost. He pushed as deeply into her as he could, spilling his seed as she pressed her lips to his and claimed his mouth in a passionate kiss.

Their kiss lasted through the end of their combined release, slowing from the blazing ardour it began as down to languid and leisurely brushes of lips and tongues. Hermione was still astride him but the adrenaline from their activities was beginning to wear off and the muscles in her thighs were beginning to protest the position. Just as she was about to move, Lucius shifted beneath her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and brought them both down to lay together on the bed. With a wave of his wand, they were cleaned up and covered. He sighed deeply as the young witch curled up into his arms and was about to allow himself to drift off to sleep when she spoke to him.

'You weren't whispering tonight.'

'Excuse me?' he asked, the confusion evident in his tone.

'Well,' she began, 'usually when we have sex I can hear you whispering something. At first I thought that I was imagining things, but you kept doing it. I figured maybe it was some sort of spell to help get things… But you didn't do it tonight…'

'It wasn't a spell,' he sighed, staring up at the canopy over the bed and sounding almost resigned. 'As far as I am aware, there are no spells that help with conception, only those that can prevent it. No, what I was whispering was an apology and a prayer. I can not begin got tell you how awful it felt for me to attempt to uphold this law we have been forced to comply with. I may be a lot of things, Hermione, but I have never been a rapist, yet that was exactly how I felt each time I came to you. Every time I walked through your door I knew that you didn't want me here anymore than I wanted to be here. It took everything in my power to follow through with the act, and each time I took you, I would whisper an apology, hoping you would hear it and forgive me for putting you through all of that. Then as I would feel my release begin, I would pray that this would be the time it would take.'

'When you would leave me here,' Hermione told him, 'I would immediately get back into the shower. I felt so cheap. So used. I wonder if those Ministry suits know what they are putting people through? How they have forced otherwise happy and content witches and wizards into the arms of people who would never deign to look twice at them? I mean, sure. Harry's happy and so is Ron, Neville ended up with exactly the witch he was planning on marrying before all of this, but I can't help but wonder how many weren't that lucky? How many women were forced into the beds of men twice their age, like I was? No offence to you, Lucius -'

'Oh, none taken, pet,' he replied with a slight laugh.

'-but not everyone can have it as nice as I do. No matter what the differences between us, you have been nothing but hospitable to me since the moment I walked into that room to marry you. I thank you for that. However, had you not come in here tonight to talk, I daresay things would have continued on just the way they were.'

'Most likely. Be that as it may, I know this is just a start for us. One evening of amazing sex is not going to solve everything for us.'

'Too right, it won't,' she agreed with a yawn.

He turned his head and brushed his lips against her temple. 'Sleep now, pet. We can discuss this more when we are rested. For now, though, I feel we have made at least some headway. I do not feel as if I have violated you in any way you didn't enjoy this time.'

She didn't need to see his face to know that he was smirking, but she was too tired to worry about it. With a deep breath and a little readjustment of her body in his arms, she snuggled up to him and closed her eyes. He joined her in sleep just a few minutes later.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize and I am making no money from the writing of this fiction. No infringement intended.

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_Chapter eight_

'I feel like I don't know you.'

Lucius and Hermione were laying in bed together, the sun's first light creeping through the cracks in the drapery. They had slept little the night before, waking often and exploring each other's bodies, testing Hermione's limits. Lucius had already come to know a great deal physically about his young wife, but he knew where she was coming from with her statement.

'Then ask me,' he responded. 'Ask anything you wish and I will answer honestly.'

Without raising her head from its place on his chest, she spoke. 'What's your favourite colour?'

'Purple. A deep, rich and yet vibrant purple.'

Hermione smiled, knowing that she should have figured as much. Purple traditionally spoke of royalty and wealth. How fitting that a Malfoy, not just any Malfoy but Lucius himself, would choose that colour as his favourite. What she didn't expect was for him to inquire about her favourite colour.

'I like purple as well. That and red. What's your favourite food?'

'Fish and chips. Yours?'

'McDonald's fries.' She felt him scoff at her obvious Muggle choice in food, but no verbal assault on her upbringing fell from his lips. It was progress.

'How many elves do you have working here?'

'Forty-two,' he replied.

'What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment?'

'Draco. Despite a completely spoiled upbringing and my misguided attempts at fatherhood, he still grew up to be quite a level headed and successful young man.'

Hermione was a bit taken aback. Sure, had she thought about it, she could have guessed that he would think his heir was his greatest accomplishment, but she hadn't seen the younger Malfoy outside of the Ministry in years. In all of their interactions while she was at work, never once had he acknowledged any relationship between her and his father. It was almost as if the younger man was no longer speaking to his father. That couldn't be, though. Draco had always looked up to Lucius. They had to still be meeting somewhere, right? If he was coming to the Manor, she would have seen him. Wouldn't she?

'I can almost hear your brain working, pet. To answer your question, Draco and I meet for lunch once a week in Diagon Alley. He is very well aware of our marriage, though he does not know the specifics of our relationship and I plan on keeping it that way. Draco and his wife are expecting their first child in March.'

'Who did he marry?'

'A young woman by the name of Eleanor Branstone. She is a few years younger than Draco, began Hogwarts the year of the Triwizard Tournament. I believe Draco told me she was in Hufflepuff, but she could have easily been in Ravenclaw.'

'We should have them over for dinner some night.'

'Perhaps.'

Over the next half an hour the two learned about each other in a completely different way. They discovered each others musical tastes, literary interests and guilty pleasures. Apparently, Lucius kept a garage on his property that held more than a few vehicles. He was an avid driver and aficionado of both classic cars and cars of a more sporty nature. She chuckled a bit at his admission, but pressed on with her next question.

'How many -' she started to ask before changing her mind and trying to find something else to ask him.

'Oh no,' he said. 'You want to know something, don't hold back. Just ask.'

'Are you sure? I don't wait to upset you at all.'

Lucius sighed and kissed her softly on the lips before answering. 'Hermione, I want this to work between us. There are already so many forces in play to keep us apart and unhappy that I do not want to add to it. If we aren't open and honest, then we may as well go back to the way things were before this all started last night. I may not like whatever question you are preparing to ask, but I will not be angry at you for asking it. I can only be angry at myself for making you wonder.'

She was still hesitant, but asked anyway. 'How many people have you killed?'

'Now I understand why you weren't sure whether to ask.'

'Well, actually, I was initially going to ask how many Muggleborns you have killed, but I decided on just the general "people" instead.'

'You have to understand that I was very young when I first joined the Death Eaters. I received my Dark Mark on my seventeenth birthday as a reward for… Well, we shall say it was for services rendered.' She raised an eyebrow at him, almost forcing him to elaborate. 'I killed my first blood traitor that day: a member of the Death Eaters who had impregnated his Muggleborn mistress and was planning on leaving his wife to be with her. Before you ask, I do not know what became of the mistress, only the man. There were many times before the Dark Lord fell for the first time when he would call upon us to do his bidding and many times, there was murder involved. In the beginning, I was quick to answer the call, doing whatever I could to ascend through his ranks. I am personally responsible for the deaths of five people, but of those five, only two were Muggleborn.

'I can tell you don't believe me, so let me explain it to you. I was raised by one of the shrewdest business men in the world and have often been told by those who knew my father that my keen intellect could put him to shame. Knowing what it takes to succeed in business is a lot like knowing what it took to please the Dark Lord. He was very simple in his demands and, for me at least, very simple to keep happy. It took very little time for me to figure out that he was more pleased with my bank accounts and what my money could do for him than anything I could possibly accomplish with my wand. Since I was married to Narcissa at the time and we were due to welcome our first child, I was very willing to lay down the wand in favour of the quill, so to speak. I did not want a child of mine coming into a world where his or her father was a cold hearted killer.'

She knew he was telling the truth. Thinking back to her interactions with him when they were on opposing sides of the war, she knew him to be a cold and calculating man, but never once did she see him raise his wand except to defend himself. Even in the Department of Mysteries, it was the other Death Eaters who were the offensive force. Lucius was focused on getting the Prophesy. With him, it was the threat of force and not the force itself, for there was never any doubt that he was skilled with a wand. It also didn't help knowing that he was so deep in the enemy's council that he didn't need to use his magic to get rid of someone. However, it was nice to know that becoming a parent had such a positive effect on him.

'What about you?' he inquired. 'Surely you were forced to do some unthinkable things during the war.'

Hermione chuckled. 'Compared to you, nothing I have done is that bad. Probably the worst things I did during the war was casting a few memory charms.'

'Now I find that rather difficult to believe.' he began. 'Rumours say that you broke into Gringotts, in fact, Bella swore until her dying day that you did. Plus, I know for a fact that you found your way into the Ministry under less than conventional means at least once. However, Bella was slightly mad and I have never been one to listen to rumours.'

'Bellatrix was right. Her timing was what was wrong. We didn't break into her vault until after we escaped from… Well…'

Both fell silent, knowing exactly what Hermione was alluding to, but not yet ready to deal with those skeletons in their closets. That was a conversation to be saved for a different time on a different day. Sensing that she needed to do something to lighten the mood, she fell back to her inane questioning of him. They discussed pastimes, childhood memories and recounted their assorted adventures at Hogwarts. Hermione was not surprised to learn that Lucius was aware of her brewing of Polyjuice during Second Year, but she was quite shocked to hear that Draco had admitted to her punching him.

'Believe it or not, Draco doesn't lie to me. I have never given him reason to have the need.' Then Lucius laughed a bit. 'The way that boy went on about you, it really was a surprise he never pursued you as a romantic interest, especially after the way you stood us for us at the Trials. That is why he hasn't been by the Manor, I'd wager. He can't accept the fact that his "old man" as he calls me managed to get the girl he wanted.'

Hermione was dumbfounded. She never would have guessed that Draco was interested in her, but looking back at their interactions now that Lucius had said something, she realized that she had simply been blind to it. His immature actions during school had been typical of a boy that age and the way he had become first civil and then downright friendly towards her over the years really should have clued her in. She had been with Ron, though, and even if she hadn't been, things would not have ended well for her and the younger Malfoy male. Draco wasn't on her Ministry approved list. Lucius was.

Once again there was silence between them. She opened her mouth to ask another stupid and pointless question before thinking better of it and snapping her mouth shut.

'Now, I thought we discussed this. Don't hesitate. Just ask.'

'Well, it's just that this is usually something you ask normal people, something to speculate on. It really won't apply to you.'

His eyebrow shot up at her implication that he wasn't normal and was just about to call her on it when she answered for him.

'Come on now. You have more money than anyone could spend in ten lifetimes.' She sighed at his expression, but asked the question anyways. 'Fine then. What would you do if someone gave you a million pounds?'

Lucius frowned slightly, now understanding why she was hesitant to ask. 'A million pounds. Hmm. Well, I can see why you didn't want to ask, as that really isn't that much money to someone like me.' She managed to catch his slightly sarcastic tone and realized that now that she was allowing herself to know this man, she could really come to enjoy his company.

'Alright, alright. What's your favourite sexual position then, Mr. I-Have-More-Money-Than-Most-Small-Countries?'

Once again, Lucius allowed himself a moment to laugh before rolling over on top of Hermione. In the same move, he buried himself balls deep inside of her and held himself there.

'While I rather enjoy any position where I can look in a woman's eyes,' he stated, 'I do so love taking a woman from behind, preferably while she is mostly clothed and bent over my desk. The thrill of being in my office where anyone could walk in and discover us in flagrante delicto. Yet, who would say anything?' He started to move slowly inside of her. 'I could take you in my office, Hermione. Would you like that? How would it feel for me to simply push you over my desk, pull your knickers down to your knees and fuck you against the oak? I would, of course, neglect to put up any silencing charms or even lock the door. Let them hear, I say. What are they going to do about it?' His pace increased. 'My money pays their bills. My business provides jobs for thousands across the country. Because of my business intellect, the Ministry has had a balanced budget for years. Were it not for me, Hogwarts itself would have gone bankrupt after the war.'

Hermione was close. His words were calm and arrogant, yet spoken with a truth that she couldn't deny. The man moving between her legs and building this most delicious pressure inside of her was proving to her just how powerful he really was, but she didn't care. The only power he wielded that mattered at all to her was the power to make her achieve climax…and he was driving her closer and closer with every word, with every thrust.

'No man in my office would dare complain about seeing the passion flare in your eyes. No woman would argue against watching me pound away, gripping your hips as I push you repeatedly into the desk. Everyone would be so transfixed by the act, by our beauty, that I daresay,' he whispered, leaning his head down to nip at her ear, 'that they might be so aroused by the sight,' he snaked a hand between them to find her clit, 'that they might just…' his middle finger made contact with her nub, '…come.'

…and she did.

Her body arched up under him as he attempted to push through the clenching of her muscles. He was unable to hold back his own release as her hands found his back and her finger nails dug a trail from his shoulders to his waist. She continued to shudder beneath him as her orgasm ran its course and before too long, Lucius moved from above her and collapsed into a heap to her right. For a long moment, the only sound to be heard was their heavy breathing, but Hermione managed to find her voice.

'You really are an arrogant prick, you know that, right?' They both chuckled at her observation and Hermione moved away from him.

'Where do you think you're going?' Lucius asked her.

'I'm going to get a shower. Once blood flow returns to your brain, do you think you could get a house elf to bring coffee and something to eat? I honestly believe that you have fucked away all of my energy and if I don't get some coffee soon, I might just shoot someone.'

She turned from him and was almost to the bathroom when he came up behind her and turned her to face him. His lips found hers in a slow, sweet affair before he grabbed a towel from just inside her bathroom door. Then he spoke.

'I realize that this doesn't change much between us, but I do hope that you will consider it a healthy start.'

'Well, we have to start somewhere.' She smiled at him and moved to take a shower. Just before she turned on the taps, Lucius heard her yell, 'and there had better be coffee waiting for me when I get out of here!'

Once again, Lucius found himself laughing as he summoned an elf to bring food, beverage and clean clothes for him. As the elf blinked out of sight, he realized that while their ages put a world of experience between them, her youthful enthusiasm might be just what he needed after so many years of strife. He reached for his wand to clean himself up before thinking better of it and joining her in the shower.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own it. No infringement intended.

Authors Note: This story is completed...has been since I began posting here, actually. There are 12 chapters in total, so we are nearing the end. Thank you all for your reviews and I hope you enjoy the rest! (and yes, that was a reference to The Patriot a few chapters back. If you haven't seen that movie, I highly recommend it.)

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_Chapter nine_

It was almost two weeks later when Hermione met with the other wives at The Garden of Eden. Her friends could tell right away that something was different and even went so far as to ask Hermione if she had any news she wanted to share. Immediately she knew that they all thought she was pregnant and moved quick to dispel those thoughts, telling the women that she and Lucius had simply come to an understanding. She also informed them that she was still a few days away from knowing if she was expecting, but not to hold their breath.

The witches enjoyed their day at the spa. Angelina Potter and Ginny Thomas were getting prenatal massages once a week now, and had become quite good friends. They were sharing stories of their pregnancies, aches, pains and cravings with Megan Weasley, who was still dealing with morning sickness. Hermione, for her part, just sat back and took everything in. She knew that this information would be needed sooner or later, but secretly hoped that she would never have to deal with some of the issues these other women were dealing with. Throwing up six times a day? Not being able to stand even the thought of fried foods? Needing to use the loo every hour and a half? There was no way. The thing that got to her the most, though, was when talk would go to sleep as it did while they were all getting pedicures.

Apparently, when you're expecting, the healers don't like you to sleep on your back or your belly. Hermione was naturally a belly sleeper, but she had come to accept the fact that such a thing would become impossible once her waistline started to expand. So since she had become a party to this law, she had tried to train herself to sleep in other positions. The one most comfortable to her was on her back. Now Angelina and Ginny were telling her that they could no longer sleep on their backs and her spirits fell a little. Hermione had the hardest time sleeping on her side unless Lucius was in bed with her…

Lucius. So much had changed between them in just two short weeks. He had joined her in the shower after their first night together and proceeded to help her get clean. Then he took her up against the shower wall and got her all sweaty again. Fortunately for them both, they were already in the shower, so they turned the hot water up a bit and cleaned up again. Just as Lucius was moving in for round two, an elf she had never seen before popped into the bathroom and announced that food was available in her sitting room.

That was the first of many lunches the two enjoyed together. Almost every day since, Lucius would come down to the Ministry to escort Hermione out to lunch. They were never seen holding hands and there were no public displays of affection between the two, but to anyone who knew them, it was easy to see that they were becoming content with each other. Their ease carried over into a home life where they no longer avoided each other. Many evenings were spent with Lucius bent over the desk in his study while Hermione sat reading near his fireplace. They would retire to bed together, sometimes his and sometimes hers, before spending time enjoying each others bodies.

The nights that they would find themselves in his rooms were the more adventurous nights. Those were the times when Lucius would step into the role of 'Sir' and Hermione would become simply 'pet.' Lucius was pleasantly surprised with Hermione's submissive nature. While she wasn't ready to assume that role full time with him, he enjoyed those nights when she would let go and give herself to him completely. They were still starting out, still learning each other, but Hermione was a fast learner and a natural submissive.

Hermione was drawn from her thoughts by Angelina's soft laughter. 'What?' she asked.

'I remember that stage,' Angelina said. 'That was one of the first symptoms I had. I couldn't focus on anything to save my life!'

'Me neither,' Ginny agreed. 'Actually, I am still like that. Can't stay focused and can't remember anything that I don't write down.'

'I don't know what you're talking about,' Hermione said. 'I told you before that it's still too early.'

'Whatever you say,' chuckled Ginny. 'Hey! Christmas is in a few weeks. What do you all say we finish up here and do a bit of shopping without the boys around?'

The four women left the Garden and made their way out into Diagon Alley to do some holiday shopping. They went from store to store, picking up odds and ends for their families and themselves and spending more money than they probably should have. Megan had said, on more than occasion, that Ron would not be happy to see their bank statement. Hermione just smiled, remembering Ron's practiced frugal ways, and bit her tongue. Lucius wouldn't care how much she spent so long as she had enjoyed herself while spending. As the hour got late, Angelina, Megan and Ginny started to talk about eating dinner out and asked Hermione to join them. She turned them down, stating that Lucius was expecting her back. In truth, she just wanted to get away from the knowing looks and not-so-sly glances at her midsection.

Hermione parted ways from the others and began the walk back to The Leaky Cauldron to Floo home. Just before she reached the entrance to the dingy pub, she saw what she could only classify as a sign of the times: a baby store. The store front was decorated in soft pinks and blues. There were layettes, stuffed toys and a few pieces of simple baby furniture adorning the display. Hermione allowed herself a moment to stand there and take in the picture before her while absently trailing a hand over her abdomen. Once she realized what she was doing, though, she shook her head and walked away. She didn't even know if she was pregnant yet and there was no sense in putting the cart before the horse.

Lucius could tell that something had happened while his young wife was out, but didn't press her for information. He was smart enough to figure out that she was upset and that it most likely had to do with all of the pregnant women around, though he didn't know any specifics. Had someone gone into labour early? Become bedridden and unable to enjoy the day at the spa? Merlin forbid, lost a baby? As his thoughts began to upset him and hit just a bit too close to home, Hermione spoke up from across the dinner table.

'They opened up a new baby store in Diagon Alley.' So that's what was wrong, he thought. She was broody. 'The other girls were going on and on today about their pregnancies and how uncomfortable and miserable they were, yet all I could think about was how happy I've been over the past two weeks with you. I was so distracted thinking about the things we've done and how comfortable I've become with you that I wasn't paying any attention to what they were saying. So of course, now they all think that I'm -'

She cut herself off. It was hard to do it, but she really didn't want to start thinking that she may be pregnant only to get her period in a day or two. While she knew that it would happen eventually, she was actually starting to become excited at the prospect. In all her discussions with Lucius over the past fortnight, she had come to discover that he was actually quite the devoted husband and father. That, along with his penchant for buying everything under the sun to try and please people he cared for, led her to believe that having another child would set loose a carefree side of him that she could have never dreamed to see. But again, she was counting her chickens before they hatched.

'Hermione, is there something you -'

'No,' she said, cutting him off a little too quickly. 'I mean, I don't know. It's still too early. I'm not even due to get my monthly curse for another day or two.'

'But your charts. How is it looking this month?'

Hermione had made the mistake of showing Lucius her charts on her personal laptop a few days previous. Ever since then, he had been pestering her about her basal body temperature, the consistency of her cervical mucous and a few other assorted things that Ron had never cared to think about, let alone ask after. It was actually quite endearing, if a bit annoying. At least he took the time to care, right? He didn't have to.

'Everything is still consistent with how it has been the past few months. Nothing has changed. If it does, you'll be the first to know. Well, the second after me.'

He smiled at her then finished his dinner. After their meal, they retired to Lucius' study to read for a while before heading to Hermione's room for the night. The next morning, Hermione woke and took her temperature. It had fallen. Later that day, she got her period. Surprisingly for Hermione, Lucius held her while she cried.

'I know it's stupid,' she sobbed, 'but I really thought this month would be different! I mean, we've come so far, haven't we? We're doing everything right but it isn't working and we only have a few more months. What if it doesn't happen? What if I can't have babies?'

'Shh. It's alright, pet,' Lucius said in his most calming voice. 'I'm sure everything is fine. You said yourself that these things take time. Besides, what makes you think that you would be unable to carry a child?'

'Well, I was exposed to the Cruciatus curse for an extended period of time. Plus there was that curse that Dolohov hit me with back in fifth year. I don't know what it was, but it knocked me unconscious for a while. I mean, I don't think he was simply trying to knock me out, right?'

Lucius frowned. 'No, I'm certain he was after something far more sinister. Did you hear what curse he used?'

'No,' she replied. 'It was a nonverbal spell, and it isn't like he is still around to find out.'

'How about this,' he began. 'As soon as your monthlies are over, I will have my personal healer come by and run some tests on you. Then, if you would like, I can have a healer who specializes in female issues take a look as well. Let's make sure everything is in order before we start a panic, alright?'

She agreed and used the back of her hand to wipe the tears from her eyes. Lucius used his quill to pen a letter to his healer to schedule an appointment and Hermione worked on some paperwork that she was unable to complete that day. The owl came back just before the two retired to bed confirming an appointment for Hermione one week hence.

The week seemed to drag by and Hermione spent every spare moment she could afford perusing books on fertility and female reproductive problems. Her imagination began to get the best of her, her mind running wild with all of the possible complications. It got so bad that she began having nightmares and Lucius banned her from reading anything not directly related to work until after her appointment. However, the visit with the Healer did nothing to assuage her fears, as the man found nothing wrong with her and recommended a visit with a specialized healer. Fortunately for Hermione, Lucius had thought this was going to happen and had already scheduled an appointment. The second healer stepped through the Floo not ten minutes later.

This appointment wielded better results. The medi-witch had Hermione lay down on a chaise while she used her wand to cast a few diagnostic spells. She then used a fancy bit of magic to project an image of Hermione's reproductive organs above the younger witches abdomen. That was when the problem was found. With what appeared to be a simple spell, it was revealed that Hermione's fallopian tubes were sealed shut. It was something that the healer had never seen before and the white haired witch called for Lucius to join them.

'It's strange, Mr. Malfoy,' the healer began. 'I've never seen anything like this on someone so young.' She then turned to Hermione. 'Are you sure you've never had any pain during your cycle?'

'Well, I've been dealing with cramps for probably ten years, but I just assumed that it was normal. A lot of women get menstrual cramps.'

The older witch turned back to Lucius. 'The problem, Mr. Malfoy, is that these tubes here, well, they should be clear of obstruction. It isn't uncommon for there to be some blockage, but to be completely sealed off like this -'

'_Subsisto Partum_,' Lucius murmured. When both witches turned to stare at him, he went on. 'Loosely translated, it means "to cease creation." It's dark magic, used a lot by men in my father's generation and older to keep their mistresses from becoming pregnant. The spell negates the need for contraceptive potions or spells because it… Well, you can see what it does. Antonin must have planned to claim you as a prize after…' Lucius looked distinctively uncomfortable and he swallowed hard before continuing. 'The good news is that it is easily reversible. I'll need my wand.'

Lucius left the room and returned less than twenty seconds later with cane in hand. The medi-witch offered her help, but he politely refused. 'I would like, however, if you could stay close. The spell hasn't been used in ages and I only know of it from my father's journals. It is quite possible that it could cause her some discomfort and I would feel better knowing you are close by to assist in her care, should she need it.'

'Certainly, Mr. Malfoy.'

Hermione was nervous as she watched her husband withdraw his wand from the end of his cane. With a slight flourish, he spoke the words '_Tribuo Vita_' and watched as a jet of blue light left his wand and settled into Hermione's midsection. Her mouth opened in a silent scream, her eyes clenched shut and her world went black.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Sorry for the delay in getting this up. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: if you recognize it, you can be assured that I neither own it nor am I making any money from it.

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_Chapter ten _

Hermione opened her eyes and took in her surroundings. The bed she was in was firm, the sheets soft. She could smell the woodsy and masculine scent that often hung around her husband and knew that she was in his room. As she looked around her, she noticed that the sun seemed to have set and there was a fire burning in the hearth. She sat up to look for Lucius, wondering where he was, when a foreign yet familiar voice reached her ears.

'About time you woke up, Granger,' the man said in an amused tone. 'I was beginning to wonder if you would ever come to.'

'Malfoy?' Hermione questioned. 'What are you doing here?'

'A bit absurd, calling me Malfoy since now you are a Malfoy as well, don't you think?'

'Well, you called me Granger,' she pointed out.

'So I did,' laughed Draco. 'As to your other question, I am here at Father's behest. A rather lucrative business deal was about to fall through and he needed to go and smooth things over. However, he didn't want you to wake up alone, so he asked me over.'

'Oh,' was the only reply she could come up with. In truth, she was a bit surprised that Malfoy…err, Draco, would want to sit with her, but she wasn't about to tell him that. At the moment, most of her thoughts were centred on the pain in her abdomen.

'There's a pain relief potion on the stand next to your pillow. There is also a Pepper-Up Potion there, but I wouldn't recommend taking that this late in the day. Wouldn't want to be awake all night, would you?' He thought for a moment and then spoke again. 'Never mind. Don't answer that last question. I really don't want to know. What I do want to know, though, is why Father felt the need to have you watched. What happened?'

'I'm not really sure,' Hermione began. 'Your father and I have been having problems conceiving for this stupid law, so I suppose that my biological clock started ticking loud enough to finally drive me mad. He arranged for a healer to see me and we discovered that I had been cursed. I'm not certain of the specifics, but Lucius seemed to know what it was. Last thing I remember was him raising his wand to me.' Then she laughed. 'Funny thing, that. Lucius Malfoy had his wand trained on me and I wasn't scared. My how times have changed.'

'Well, I don't know what you did, Granger, but Father seems taken with you. He'll be happy to hear that you're alright.'

'And what about you?' she asked, her tone turning serious. 'Are you happy to hear I'm alright? Are you alright with having a little Half Blood brother or sister running around?'

'Are you kidding? Do you have any idea how long I begged Mother and Father for a sibling? I used to try and dress up the House Elves before I understood the significance of giving them clothes.'

'No!'

Draco laughed. 'Oh yeah. Fortunately the magic that indentures them to a family can't be broken by anyone under the age of ten. Saved my parents a fair few elves. Since I couldn't have any brothers or sisters, though, I played with the elves a lot. Then Pansy, Theo, Blaise, Vince, and Greg started coming around, so the elves were given a break. Still pestered my parents though.'

'Didn't they -'

'Hermione!' Lucius interrupted as he bounded through the bedroom door. 'How do you feel? Have you taken the pain potion? Was my son hospitable?' He sat on the bed next to her and took her hands in his. 'How do you feel?'

Hermione smiled at him. 'You've asked me that already and if you would just be quiet for a moment, I could tell you that I am fine. I took the pain potion and your son was fine. He was filling me in on his attempts to free your elves as a child,' she said with a chuckle.

'Laugh it up, Granger.'

'Draco!' Lucius scolded. 'Do not address my wife so informally.'

'It's alright, Lucius. Coming from him, it's actually a compliment.'

'Right,' Draco added. 'Besides, I don't much suppose either of us could deal with me calling her "mum" or anything of the sort.'

'Exactly,' Hermione agreed. 'The moment you call me "mum" is when I start calling you "ferret" again. Deal?'

'Deal.' The two shook hands before Draco made to leave. 'Well, Ele's at home waiting and since Father is here, I should probably be off. Father. Granger.'

'Thanks, Draco,' called Hermione.

'Thank you, Draco. Give your wife my regards.'

'I will, Father.' With that, Draco was gone.

Hermione sat on the bed, staring at the door that Draco had just passed through. While they had only spent a few minutes together, she had an odd feeling of acceptance from their interactions. She knew that he understood her position, as he had been forced into a similar one, and she could tell that he was willing to make the best of it. It would also seem that, though he was well into his twenties, he was very much looking forward to the prospect of having a little brother or sister. That thought made her curious though. Hermione knew why she was an only child; though her parents weren't poor by any standard, they would have rather lived comfortably with one child than struggle with two. With all the money the Malfoy's had, why didn't they have more children? Did they only want one? Did they try for more but never succeed? Why was Draco an only child? She didn't know, but she was sure that Draco did and she vowed that if Lucius didn't give her the answers to her questions, she would ask the younger Malfoy male. While they may not be best mates, she was certain that they were friends enough now that he would tell her. First, though, she would give her husband the chance to tell the story. It was his to tell, after all.

All of the answers would have to wait though, as Lucius seemed to have other ideas. He shook her from her thoughts by asking what she remembered. After she recounted basically what she had told Draco not ten minutes previous, he proceeded to fill in the gaps missing from her memory. He explained about the spell that was cast on her and how it had affected her body's ability to reproduce. Then he went into great detail about the counter curse, how it worked and what it meant for their future. At the end of it all, she was smiling. There would be no lasting effects from the curse and, with any luck, they could be pregnant by the end of the month. Both Lucius and Hermione admitted to looking forward to trying and agreed that even if it didn't happen this particular month, they would enjoy the practice.

Practice was exactly what they got. Lucius was hesitant to touch her that first night, and so the two simply held each other and took comfort in each others embrace. In fact, it was three full days before Lucius was comfortable enough with Hermione's recovery to initiate any sexual activity. When he did, neither was disappointed.

It was early in the evening. Dinner had finished and the two of them had gone to Lucius's study, as had become routine. Lucius was pouring over a few documents left over from the emergency of a few days previous while Hermione was attempting to read The Lord of the Rings. She had seen the films, of course, but had never gotten around to reading the book, or rather books as the story was broken up into three parts. uThe Hobbit/u had been a favourite of hers growing up and she figured that it was high time to read the follow up. Just as she had gotten to the part where Bilbo had left the Shire and the other Hobbits were coming to claim their inheritance, she felt a hand come down lightly on her shoulder. When she looked up into the ice blue eyes of her husband, she saw the mischief behind them and didn't resist when he plucked the novel from her hands and placed it on the table next to her. She didn't even care that he had lost her place as he helped her stand and walked her across the room to his desk.

Hermione noticed that his desk was clear. Lucius moved around the desk to the place where he would sit to work and pushed her backside against the edge, urging her to sit. Once she was perched on the edge, he moved her thighs apart, pulled up his plush leather chair and moved her skirt up her legs. With a barely audible whisper, her knickers were magically removed from her body. That was when she felt his fingers at her core. He parted her folds and brought his face to her most private place, licking up her slit and finding her clit with his tongue. Lucius feasted on her sex like a man starved, using his lips, tongue, teeth, and fingers to tease her to the edge of sanity. Just before she was about to fall from the precipice, he pulled back and removed her forcibly from the desk.

She didn't have time to think about what he was doing. He turned her around and pushed her down, bending her over the desk. Hermione heard him lower the zip of his trousers and braced herself for a wild ride. He didn't disappoint. Lucius thrust into her hard, burying himself balls deep inside her and withdrawing before her body could adjust to his girth. Then he was back inside, bottoming out with the motion and beginning a relentless pace that he continued through her first orgasm.

'I don't believe I gave you leave to come, pet,' Lucius said silkily.

His tone did nothing to cool the passion building yet again inside her. As he continued to pump in and out of her, he began to bring a hand down against her backside, issuing a spanking to her with every third pull from his hips. His hand alternated between her cheeks, bringing it down hard and turning her ass a deep red before the combined sensation of his spanking, the rub of the desk under her and his thorough fucking forced her into a second orgasm. This time, Lucius was unable to hold back. The intensity of her climax ripped his from him and he came with a shout.

Lucius collapsed backwards into his chair as Hermione lay panting on his desk. As soon as the blood flow returned to his brain, he pulled his chair forward and collected his young wife, pulling her into his lap and holding her close. He brushed the hair from her face and whispered soothing words into her ear. Hermione practically purred at hearing him call her a good girl and tell her that she was perfect and beautiful. Her body still shook with the after affects of her orgasm, her ass smarted from the spanking she had endured, but there was no place she would rather have been. They sat together in their post-orgasmic bliss for a few more minutes before Lucius spoke.

'I'll never be able to work here without a smile on my face again.' Hermione chuckled against him and he continued. 'What do you say we head to bed, hmm?'

The two used Lucius' Vanishing Cabinet to get to his bed chamber that night. They collapsed between the sheets after undressing and promptly fell into a deep slumber. Lucius woke first the next morning, climbing out of bed while attempting not to disturb his wife, and preparing for his day. He left the Manor before she stirred, leaving behind a single long-stemmed red rose for her on his pillow.

The following week passed by quickly for the lovers. Every day, they would go about their usual business before coming home to each other around dinner time. Meals were still taken in the dining room and Draco and his wife, Eleanor, even joined them one evening. After their usual time in Lucius' study, they would retire to bed and make love until both were utterly spent.

The weekend meant another trip to The Garden of Eden, however this time, Eleanor Malfoy joined them. Hermione made the introductions and the younger witch found herself completely at home with the established friends. Just before lunch time, all of the husbands joined them. As is usually the case when a business owner graces his establishment, all of The Garden's employees were on their highest alert. Nothing was overlooked as the five couples dined and then partook in the various treatments available to them.

It was awkward at first, having the two Malfoy Men there with the rest of them. There were a lot of uncomfortable silences and sideways glances all around. Draco and Lucius kept close to their wives and went out of their way to play nice with Harry and Ron. Getting along with Dean Thomas, though, wasn't an issue as he worked for Lucius and was often partnered with Draco on various projects. Harry and Ron were keeping a close eye on the older Malfoy, waiting for him to mess up somehow, but after witnessing repeated lingering touches, various caresses, and soft smiles between Lucius and Hermione, the two younger men backed off a bit. Even they could tell that the unorthodox couple was a happy one.

Overall, it was a very relaxing day, though Hermione couldn't help but lament the cramps she was feeling in her lower abdomen. She had stopped charting after the visit with the healers and decided to just leave it up to chance. However, she felt as though the cramps were a precursor to her least favourite Aunt coming for her monthly visit. Saturday night, Hermione went to sleep a little earlier than usual and woke up feeling more tired than normal on Sunday morning. Her usual cup of coffee tasted off to her, but when Lucius expressed a similar concern, she let the thought go. It wasn't until lunch time on Monday that she began to wonder what was happening to her. The peanut butter sandwich she had packed had turned her stomach to the point where she had to rush to the loo.

Hermione was nervous as she made her way to the pharmacy after work Monday. She walked over to the pregnancy tests and grabbed a two-pack of digital tests to use. There were magical tests that could be done, spells to cast that would detect a pregnancy, but there was just something to be said for peeing on a stick and waiting for the lines to show up, or rather the words in this case. The directions on the box told her that it would be best to use first morning urine, so she hid the product in her bathroom and went to bed, never once mentioning her suspicions to her spouse. The next morning, she woke before him and stole away to her rooms. She set up the test, peed on the stick and before she even had time to pull up her knickers and wash her hands, the result was staring up at her in stark black lettering.

She was pregnant.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I don't own it, it isn't mine... No infringement intended.

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_Chapter eleven _

Hermione didn't think it was possible for the man to be any paler than he usually was. However, when she delivered the news of her pregnancy to her husband, she began to fear for his well being. His complexion resembled that of a ghost. After the initial shock wore off and his colour began to return to normal, happiness overtook him and he lifted Hermione up into his arms. He swung her about the room, kissing her hard and squeezing a bit harder. Then he seemed to remember himself and set her down, putting some distance between them.

'You're certain?' he asked.

Hermione showed him the test and when she noticed his scepticism over the obviously Muggle pregnancy test, she pulled out her wand and cast the magical equivalent. The spell illuminated her midsection in a pale blue light and Hermione would have laughed at how quickly the colour left Lucius' face if she wasn't so concerned for him.

'We shall have to Floo the healer straight away,' Lucius began, speaking quickly and authoritatively. 'Your health and that of our child needs to be assured. Then you will contact the Ministry and resign your position. I will have the elves gather your things and have them transferred to my rooms so that you can be by my side at all times. Every precaution must be taken. I won't have anything happening to you or the baby.' Hermione's face grew sombre, but Lucius didn't seem to notice as he continued on. 'You will have to owl your girl friends as well. There will be no more trips out to the spa, Diagon Alley, or anywhere else for that matter, without my accompanying you. You should also begin to take some nutritional supplements and consume more water. I'll have the kitchen elves alter their menus to include everything your body will need to accommodate the needs of your baby.'

Lucius looked up into the shocked face of his wife, but it wasn't her expression that got to him. It was her position. 'Good heavens, woman! What in the name of Merlin's favourite robes are you doing on your feet? Did you hear nothing I said?'

Hermione couldn't help it, she burst out laughing. Of all the reactions she could have expected from him, his going off on a tangent of "to do's" never would have crossed her mind. However, after listening to his tirade, she began to calm down and put two and two together. Lucius' comments about Narcissa's first pregnancy. The speed with which he arranged for a healer to see her when she expressed concern over her fertility. Draco's comments about wanting a sibling but never getting one. And now this… It was as if a light bulb went off in her head.

'Lucius,' she began tentatively. 'How many times was Mrs. Malfoy pregnant?'

He chuckled a bit before saying, 'Well, as far as I know, this is your first pregnancy. Am I correct?' After she playfully swatted him on the arm, he sighed and provided another answer. 'I promise to answer your questions if you do a favour for me.'

'Anything,' she responded.

'Let me get you in bed and have a healer look over you. I don't want to take any chances. Once we ascertain your health, then we shall talk.'

Hermione agreed to his terms, remembering her vow to get answers on the subject from one of the Malfoy men. She allowed Lucius to lead her to his bed chambers and tuck her carefully beneath the sheets. Then she watched as he Floo'd the same healer who discovered the curse that had been placed upon her. The white-haired witch stepped through five short minutes later and proceeded to give Hermione a full check up. Once the older witch had assured both Lucius and Hermione that everything was going as it should, she scheduled an appointment for two weeks hence and left in a flurry of green flames.

Lucius collapsed into the bed next to Hermione and pulled her close before beginning his tale.

'Narcissa and I were an arranged marriage. Her parents were happy to tie the House of Black to the House of Malfoy and we were wed not two days after her graduation from Hogwarts. A few weeks after our honeymoon, she fell ill and we discovered that we were expecting our first. That was when I started work on The Garden of Eden. I was so excited to become a father that I was willing to do anything for the woman who was bringing my heir into the world. However, just before the end of her first trimester, she started bleeding and suffered a miscarriage. We were devastated.'

Hermione reached a hand down and twined her fingers with his in a silent show of support, encouraging him to go on even as a tear slid down her cheek.

'Not two months later, we got pregnant again, but this time the pregnancy stuck. The baby, however, did not go to term. In fact, Draco was born a full seven weeks early. We are quite lucky to have him with all the health problems he had as a baby. His lungs weren't ready and he had a lot of issues with eating and digesting his food. During the first year of his life, he spent almost as much time at St. Mungo's as he did here at the Manor. Once we knew that he was going to be alright, we made the decision to try for another baby. The Dark Lord was gone and we felt that the time was right to bring some more joy into our lives.' Lucius faltered in his speech and Hermione felt the hitch in his breathing before he went on. 'I think that is one of the main reasons why I spoilt him so. After everything that happened, everything that we went through to have him and all the loss…'

She was hesitant to ask, but she had to know. 'How many?'

'Seven total,' came his reply. 'Six times after Draco was born. The last time we went through it, Narcissa almost perished. Draco never knew. He would constantly ask for a little brother or sister and it broke my heart to not be able to give him one.'

'He knows,' she blurted out. 'At least I'm pretty sure he knows.'

'Why would you think that?'

'It was just a feeling I got from him a few weeks ago. It was when I woke up to him in your room. We got to talking and I just feel like he would have told me when you walked in and interrupted. I was going to ask you about it, but it slipped my mind.'

'Well then,' Lucius said. 'I think I may have to take him aside and discuss things with him. As it is, though, she is now happily married to the lead singer from the Weird Sisters and is enjoying a rather uneventful pregnancy. She is due in eight weeks.'

'That's great! I had wondered how she had adjusted to this law.'

Lucius smiled. 'As well as can be expected. As I have told you, ours was not a marriage of love, but of politics. She is finally finding the happiness she deserves.'

Hermione looked up into his eyes and smiled softly. 'I'm going to be fine, Lucius. Pregnancies can be hard, women have miscarriages, but in the end it comes down to one thing: whatever is meant to happen, will happen. I am not your ex. I feel terrible that those things happened to her, to you, but we are two different people. I don't know what is going to happen with this pregnancy and I can not guarantee that everything will go perfectly. What I can do is promise you that I won't intentionally do anything that could harm either myself or our baby. I won't risk our well being for anything and if at any time you feel as if I am over doing things, tell me. Talk to me. I believe we have both learned that this won't work between us without communication, but we also need trust. You have to trust me enough to know that I won't risk this, and if you're really concerned, talk to my healer. I'm sure she won't mind answering any questions you may have. Just don't make me sit here all day. I would go completely mad if I were cooped up here with nothing to do. Allow me to continue to work as long as I am able and I promise you that I'll take it easy whenever I can.'

'…and if the healer says that you should be in bed?' he asked tentatively.

'Then I'll gladly stay in bed if you join me whenever you can,' she teased.

'Hermione…'

'No. Don't you dare start, Lucius Malfoy. I'll Floo that witch back so fast that your head will spin if you say that you're going to stop sleeping with me.'

'But it can't be -'

'Safe?' she finished. 'It's perfectly safe unless she says otherwise! There is no reason that we shouldn't continue on the way we've been, with a few exceptions. Unfortunately, I do believe we should tone down our play time.'

He reluctantly accepted her words, but informed her that he would take his concerns up with the healer when she returned in two weeks. The two then proceeded to discuss their intentions with this baby. They talked about the way they were raised, how Draco was raised, and what they would try and try not to do with this child and any others they would have in the future. Hermione was surprised to learn that Lucius and Narcissa had done most of the work with Draco rather than leaving him with elves, a nanny or an au pair. Lucius, in turn, was exceedingly pleased to hear that Hermione intended on nursing their young. More and more young people were turning to alternative methods for feeding babies, but he believed that nothing compared to mother's milk. Hermione agreed.

Over the course of Hermione's first trimester, Lucius was a mess. At least three times every day, he would Apparate to the Ministry to check on her and while she found it endearing at first, it got to be a bit bothersome. It became so bad that Hermione's boss interceded on her behalf and told Lucius one day that he didn't have anything to worry about. The Ministry was fully equipped to handle anything that happened and they would be sure to alert the blond wizard within moments. The healer also tried to easy Lucius's concerns, but at least she knew where the man was coming from and what he had dealt with in the past. In the end, it took the end of the first thirteen weeks for Lucius to ease up a bit.

When Hermione's pregnancy reached the fifteen week mark, she and Lucius invited Draco and Eleanor over for dinner. The young couple arrived with their newborn son, Scorpius, and were delighted to learn of the newest addition to the Malfoy family. After the meal was over, they all retired to Lucius's study where Ele and Hermione sat near the fire discussing babies. Lucius and Draco stayed back by the older Malfoy's desk and talked about their wives.

'Hermione seems to be having a better time of it than Mother ever did,' Draco observed.

'Ah yes,' sighed Lucius. 'I had forgotten that I wanted to discuss that with you. How long have you known?'

'I'm not sure of the specifics,' the younger wizard admitted, 'but I do remember the last two. Mother was so sick and I remember her being in a lot of pain. I recall her spending a lot of time in bed and crying a lot. I don't think she knows that I knew or that I saw her like that at all, but I did.' Lucius opened his mouth to speak, but Draco cut him off. 'I don't want to know, Father. I realized long ago that it couldn't have been easy for either of you and now that I am a father myself, I know that for a fact, but you have a second chance now. Granger and I may not always see eye to eye, but she is good for you in more ways than one. I'm happy for you, Father. I'm happy that you have an equal and that you have another chance at fatherhood.'

Lucius looked at his son and gave him a watery smile. He then pulled the younger man into a bone crushing hug.

'I love you, Draco. I know that I don't say it often, but I do. I love you, son.'

'I love you, too, Father.'

Hermione's second and third trimesters passed with very little fanfare. She continued to go to The Garden of Eden with the other wives, attended various baby showers and baptisms, and otherwise prepare for the birth of her own baby. She read books on Lamaze, The Bradley Method and a few other techniques for pain management during labour, but in the end it didn't matter. When Hermione's water broke, the baby was in a transverse position. Sebastian Malfoy was born on October 2, 2007 via a caesarean section.

Lucius and Hermione were over the moon with their little boy. The proud parents brought their little guy home a week after he was born and moved his bassinette into their bedroom. Hermione spent most of their first two weeks at home recovering from her surgery and adjusting to breastfeeding. Though the occasional diaper would be changed by an elf, Hermione and Lucius did most of the care themselves. Every day she fell more and more in love with the child she had created and she fell easily into the role of a mother. Once she grew accustomed to Sebastian's schedule, she began to venture out a bit. She would take the baby to the market, into Diagon Alley and to St. Mungo's for regular visits with the Healers. However, the first time Lucius insisted that she go out alone, Hermione made a startling revelation: she couldn't stand to be away from Sebastian and knew that the feeling would only get worse when the time came to return to work. Rather than having the Ministry hold her position for her, she sent in her resignation and began her new life as a stay at home mom. Lucius had asked her many times if she was certain of her decision, but she wasn't to be swayed. She didn't need to work and since she had the opportunity to be home with her child, she took it. Lucius, for his part, couldn't have been happier.

As weeks turned into months, the new family found comfort in each other. Lucius and Hermione got to know each other better as not only lovers, but as parents as well. As their son grew, so did their respect for each other. Hermione found herself gravitating towards whatever part of the Manor Lucius was in and he, in turn, would sit with her rather than by himself at his desk. They began taking their meals in different parts of the grounds, exploring the conservatories, gardens and even the kitchen before realizing that eating in the breakfast nook of the kitchen only made the elves nervous. Lucius found himself working from home more and more and found he rather enjoyed his one on one time with Sebastian when Hermione would take a nap, grab a shower or even just the times when he would abscond with the baby for his own selfish need to play with the boy.

On the day of their second wedding anniversary, Lucius presented Hermione with a rare hand-bound copy of A Midsummer Night's Dream that was easily well over three hundred years old. At first, she was afraid to touch it for fear of ruining the parchment, but Lucius convinced her that the magic placed upon the book would keep it together and in good condition no matter what she did to it. She leaned over and wrapped her arms around him, eager to embrace him and convey her thanks. When she pulled back to speak to him, their eyes met and the two came together slowly for a tentative kiss. Their lips brushed together, softly at first, then with more assurance and passion. Just as Hermione had set the book down and begun to weave her fingers into Lucius's hair, Sebastian woke from his nap and cried out for someone to pick him up. Lucius and Hermione exchanged a soft smile before rescuing their little boy from his crib and going about their day.


	12. Chapter 12

DISCLAIMER: _The characters and canon situations in the following story belong solely to JK Rowling, Scholastic and WB. I am not making any money from the publishing or writing of this story._

_Chapter twelve_

Sebastian Malfoy's first birthday party wasn't what one would expect from Lucius Malfoy. It was a quiet affair with only close family and friends invited. The Potter's, Thomas's, and Weasley's were there, as were Draco, Ele and Scorpius. There was cake, ice cream and gifts along with good friends and better conversation. A good time was had by all.

Time seemed to be flying for Hermione and Lucius, seasons changing in the blink of an eye and before either of them knew it, March had come around again and their third wedding anniversary was upon them. Hermione celebrated by gifting Lucius a tiny Onesie that read "Future Quidditch Star." At first he was confused but then put two and two together and looked to his wife for confirmation. Her smile was all the answer he needed. She was indeed expecting again.

Hermione's second pregnancy passed with as little excitement as the first. Sure she dealt with a touch of morning sickness towards the beginning, but other than that, she was the picture of health. Over the course of the summer, Ele, Angelina and Megan all announced their own second pregnancies. At the beginning of September, Ginny told the women that she was expecting twins.

Halloween morning dawned and Lucius walked into the Solarium to find Hermione eating breakfast, enjoying her coffee and feeding Sebastian. He sat next to her, stole a piece of toast from her plate and began discussing their plans for the evening. Hermione found herself explaining, once again, the humour of the costumes they would be wearing to the Potter's Halloween party later that day. The Catholic priest and pregnant Nun bit never got old, she told him. At that moment, an owl flew in with their mail and the morning edition of The Daily Prophet. Hermione almost spit out her coffee when she read the headline.

_EDICT LIFTED!_

_Ministry Allows for Bond Reversals_

_In a stunning move by the Ministry, The Daily Prophet as received word that thousands of disgruntled witches and wizards will at last be able to find happiness. Minister of Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt, along with the whole of the Wizengamot, went over documents presented to them from the healers at St. Mungo's and have decided that the Edict passed back in 2005 has fulfilled its purpose._

_In regards to their decision, the Ministry of Magic has issued the following statement:_

"_Due to the success of the Edict Maritus, passed only three and a half short years ago, our civilization is assured a bright future. A record number of births have taken place, magical signatures were tested and it is with great confidence that the Ministry can report the fewest number of Squibs born in almost a century. It is with these statistics in mind that Minister Shacklebolt has withdrawn the recent marriage law effectively immediately. Any couple wishing to proceed with the dissolution of their union may arrange an appointment Monday through Friday in the Department of Magical Relations."_

'Oh God!' Hermione exclaimed, unable to read any more. 'How could they do this? What about all those children! Don't they know what divorce does to people? To kids?'

'Hermione. Hermione stop. We need to talk about this.' She looked up at him and he continued in a sobering tone. 'Listen, love. I know that before all of this you were happy with Ronald. Should you choose to go back to him, know that you will be taken care of, as will Sebastian and this little one.' He put his hand on her expanding belly and went on. 'I know that you and I are an unlikely couple and I can understand if you don't want to spend the rest of your life with a jaded old man like -'

'What?' she breathed. 'What are you talking about? Leave you? Why would I want to leave you, Lucius? We have a son together! I am carrying our second child in my womb right now! Our family means the world to me. YOU mean the world to me!' Hermione paused for a moment, considering her words, before looking down and continuing without making eye contact. 'I love you.'

Lucius was silent and unmoving. Hermione kept her eyes downcast and tried to fight back the feeling of rejection that washed over her. She knew that she was going out on a limb by expressing her feelings for him, but they had been growing exponentially and she could no longer fight the truth. She loved him. However, now that she had told him, another truth was crashing down around her: he didn't love her. She opened her mouth to speak some retraction, to negate the words she had allowed to fall from her lips, but nothing could get passed the gigantic lump in her throat. As she began to shake with barely contained sadness, Lucius reached a hand up and lifted her face to his. Using the pad of his thumb, he wiped a traitorous tear from her cheek before speaking.

'Nothing would make me happier than to have you by my side for the rest of my days and to see you pregnant with many more children of mine. I love you, too.'

* * *

End story notes: Thanks to everyone who took the time to read and review this story. I know that the ending may have seemed a bit rushed to some of you, but for what I was trying to accomplish with the story, it was perfect. This was never a story written just to get Hermione and Lucius in bed together, nor was it a device to explore how the two would interact once they found happiness. I could have written chapter upon chapter about their sex life and Hermione's pregnancy, but in my mind it would have all been fluff filler. This was a tale to show two people who got off to a rocky start find common ground with each other and eventually found love. I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thanks again!


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